


Points of Contention

by NewInTown02



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Bro'hara, Character Growth, EWNT, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/F, Flashbacks, Olympique Lyonnais, USWNT
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:02:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24904249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NewInTown02/pseuds/NewInTown02
Summary: As women’s soccer gets more competitive, being called the “best” at anything is becoming controversial. Take the honor of being the top right back in the world, for example. The English would tell you it’s Lucy Bronze, while the Americans swear by Kelley O’Hara. What happens when these two superstars play on the same club team? Can past rivalries be put aside to forge new championships?aka the Bro’hara story no one's asked for but I’m writing anyway.
Relationships: Kelley O'Hara/Lucy Bronze
Comments: 42
Kudos: 115





	1. Just My Luck

**Author's Note:**

> 1.) For starters I want to say that I fully support both of the awesome relationships these two women are in, and mean absolutely no disrespect to either couple. This is just meant to be a fun fictional exercise in obscure soccer “ships”. 
> 
> 2.) As far as I know there is no animosity between these two, but they played against each other on that famous day in 2009 for the NCAA College Cup (Kelley’s senior year at Stanford, Lucy’s freshman (and only) year at UNC), and have played against each other countless times for their national teams. I thought it would be interesting to look into some of their differences and imagine how a rivalry between the two players could have formed. Story will start around present time but there will be flashbacks to give more background on these two throughout the chapters.

Brilliant. Lucy thinks as the news reaches her. This is just what she needs. Her coach for Lyon, the French club team she plays for, had just finished announcing the team's newest acquisition. Normally Lucy embraced the chance to play with someone new. With the woman’s game evolving as much as it had been over recent years, she knew that one of the best ways to improve her game was by learning from her peers. This particular peer, however, Lucy could have done without. 

It’s not that she _hates_ Kelley O’Hara. As a general rule, Lucy tries to make a point of not hating anyone. She likes to think there’s good inside each and every person she meets. Kelley, however, is a strong reminder that there’s always an exception to the rule.

She can’t be all bad, Lucy admits to herself. Surly Kelley must possess some positive qualities. Several of her National Team teammates are even quite fond of the Georgian native, and while she’s never seen the side to Kelley that her teammates seem to know, she trusts their judgement. No, she definitely doesn’t hate the American. Still, she doesn’t like her either, and it would be vastly overstated to say she’s excited for her arrival in France.

It’s hard to be thrilled about the new player when all of your prior experiences with them involve them acting like a complete twa- er no, an absolute bit- no can’t say that one either. Fine, an egotistical brat. There that’s PC enough. Lucy wants to like the other woman, but Kelley makes it so damn difficult. It’s one thing to be aggressive on the pitch, hell Lucy is probably guilty of that herself, but on _and_ off the field, Kelley is at an entirely different level. The few times they’ve interacted away from the pitch often included Kelley cutting Lucy off mid-sentence, stomping all over her views and beliefs, and refusing to be told otherwise. Where Lucy prides herself on being the calm, collected type, Kelley seems to get off on being overly abrasive and in your face. 

“Luce, darling, can you not move your leg? You’re shaking the entire row.” Amandine’s words tear Lucy away from her thoughts. She hadn’t even realized her legs were trembling until now. She mumbles an apology in french and forces her body to still. Henry looks at her with concern and places a gentle (and impeccably well kept) hand on Lucy’s shoulder.

“Sweetie you have nothing to worry about. Who knows where they will put O’Hara. She could go to the left side of the field, or maybe they’ll try her at forward again. You never know. There’s no need to fret so soon.”

Christ, Lucy hadn’t even thought about that. She and Kelley both had played several positions on the field during the course of their careers, but as of late they’d both been referred to as the best right back in the world. Did she need to worry about her starting spot on top of everything else? The coaches finish up the meeting and excuse the team for the night. Lucy remains in her head as she goes through the motions of getting ready to leave. Just as she is about to slip out, one of the assistant coaches calls her back.

“Bronze, do you have a moment?” It’s phrased as a question but Lucy knows it is just a formality, of course she has a moment. She has endless moments for her club team as far as her coaches are concerned. And normally she wouldn’t mind one bit. She loves her club team and has great pride in being a part of it, but she has a feeling that this conversation isn’t going to be one she’ll enjoy. She stops in the doorway and nods at her coach before taking the few steps towards him. 

“So as you know Kelley O’Hara is going to be joining us starting tomorrow.” Her coach pauses as though expecting her to say something, but she just nods and lets him continue. “She is arriving in Lyon this afternoon and we’ve set her up to stay in one of the vacant player apartments.” Again Lucy nods. It was often common practice for the various club teams to help their players find homes or apartments to stay in, especially for their international players. Lucy herself is living in one of the club owned units. “The apartment is in the same complex as yours so would you mind showing her around when she gets in? Maybe take her on a walk around the neighborhood, show her the grocery store, and help her get settled in before practice tomorrow?” 

“Erm.” In reality Lucy could think of a thousand things she’d rather do than help Kelley get _settled_ , but she knew it was her job as a leader on the team to help make the newbies (even if they were veteran newbies) feel welcomed. Bollocks. She knew there was no getting out of this “Right, sure coach. Not a problem.”

…

“You have several Olympic medals including one gold, as well as two world cup champion titles to your name. Kelley O’Hara, is there anything left on your soccer bucket list? Any other dreams you have before hanging up your boots for good?”

Kelley thinks back on an interview she had done earlier this spring. The answer she had given then was the same one that was propelling her to move across the ocean now. She wanted to win a club championship. She loved the national team and felt incredibly blessed every time she donned a USA kit, but she had never had success with her past club teams. After learning that Becky, her number one mentor on the Utah Royals was leaving for Portland, Kelley had made up her mind. Her contract with the Royals was up that year and given everything that had been going on this year (the Olympics being pushed back, coronavirus wreaking havoc, and oh yeah breaking up with her girlfriend) Kelley felt like it was time for a change. A fresh start, preferably somewhere with a lot of potential to win the league.

When she first told her agent she wanted a change she was envisioning moving to another NWSL team, but once she was told that Lyon was interested in her, it became a no-brainer. Lyon is the most successful woman’s club team in the world. The range of talent on the team is incredible and Kelley knows she has a good chance at completing her soccer bucket list with Les Lyonnaises. Plus the thought of living abroad has a certain allure to it. She knows she’ll miss her family and friends back in the states, but it’s not as though she sees them very much anyways. Besides she will be back for national team camps every couple of months. Kelley tells herself these things as a way of convincing herself that she’s made the right choice. She knows she has, but still, moving to a different country is a bit intimidating, even for a world renowned soccer star. 

She’s feeling marginally confident after successfully navigating the Lyon-Saint Exupery Airport, using the french she learned in high school to read the signs to baggage claim. She’s able to flag down a cab and politely asks the driver to take her to the address she’d received from her new team manager last night. The driver looks back at her slightly confused and asks if she can repeat the address. Kelley feels her lips slip into a small frown as she attempts to pronounce the street name pulled up on her phone. The driver still looks hesitant but nods and pulls away from the curb. 

It becomes apparent to Kelley that her french isn’t as good as she thought when the driver stops in front of an abandoned factory building on the outskirts of the city. After consulting google translate several times, she eventually gives up and just shows the driver the address off of her phone. He immediately lights up upon recognizing the street and in ten minutes they are pulling up to a small square (or _place_ Kelley reminds herself) surrounded by small shops and what she assumes are apartment buildings. 

The cab driver begins unloading Kelley’s bags from the trunk as she reaches down in the backseat to grab her purse, backpack, and carry on. She’s pulling herself up and out of the car, when she registers the presence of another person near the back of the car. 

She stands up fully and sees none other than Lucy Bronze. Lucy is wearing high waisted jeans with large tears at both knees, a white crop top tee-shirt, and, are those glasses? Kelley takes in her appearance for a moment longer before realizing that, shit, Lucy looks hot-what no. NO. She looks good, fine, average really. Yeah, yep. Just fine. Kelley is simply surprised since she normally sees Bronze in her kit, and isn’t used to these trendy street clothes on the other player. Plus Kelley’s been traveling all day, her brain is on the fritz that’s all. She’s just exhausted and wound up from getting lost earlier. Nothing to read into or think too hard about. Calm the fuck down O’Hara, Kelley chastises herself. 

Of course she would run into Lucy like this. Lucy, who’s looking like a gay goddess in full make up and a trendy hat. Whereas Kelley is in a dingy pair of sweats and rocking “fresh off the plane” hair. It annoys her that Lucy always seems to pop up in her life like this, at times when she’s frazzled and disheveled. What makes it worse is that Bronze is the epitome of put together. This is so not what she wants to be dealing with right now. 

“What are _you_ doing here?” Kelley says, irritation evident in her voice. Lucy merely smiles, as though she is not at all surprised by Kelley’s attitude towards her.

“Nice to see you too Kelley.” Lucy says as she bends down to grab one of Kelley’s duffels before hoisting it over her shoulder. She grabs the other duffel with her other hand effectively leaving Kelley with just her carry on to manage. Kelley is a little surprised by how easily Bronze handles her luggage. She knew the English player was strong but-

“I’m supposed to be meeting a teammate.” Kelley says in a hoity, skeptical tone. Bronze raises an eyebrow in disbelief as she responds,

“Righto, and you’re looking at her. I play for Lyon, remember?” Kelley does vaguely recall that the English national star plays in the french league. It’s not so much that she forgot where Bronze plays as it is that she never cared enough to remember in the first place. Kelley chooses to ignore Lucy’s question and turns back towards her cab driver. She thanks him and says goodbye in what she considers to be passable french, but her new teammate must disagree. 

“What? Why are you laughing.” Kelley demands as she hears the taller woman trying to stifle her chuckling.

“Sorry. No reason.” Lucy tries to play it off, but Kelley is not buying it. She puts her hands on her hips and glares at her teammate. 

“Spit it out Bronze.” Kelley shouts. Lucy looks like she’s seriously considering holding her tongue, but before Kelley can yell at her again she answers, 

“It’s your french.” She says simply. Kelley waits for Bronze to expound on her thoughts, but becomes frustrated by the Brit’s continued silence.

“Yes?” Kelley asks harshly, “What about my french?”

“It’s- well it’s not good.” Lucy shrugs. “Honestly I’m surprised you made it here in one piece after hearing that.” She tries to joke, but can’t contain the small smirk that spreads across her face. Kelley picks up on it and does not appreciate being made fun of. Especially since Bronze isn’t entirely off base considering the whole address fiasco. Not that Kelley would ever admit it to the younger woman. She doesn’t hold back the bite in her tone.

“Excuse you? You’re one to talk, Miss Broken English.” Kelley quips, referencing the Brit's rather choppy accent. 

Lucy sighs. See this right here is why she’s never been able to get along with Kelley. Two minutes in and O’Hara is already behaving like a jerk. 

“Well Miss America, just because you don’t understand it, doesn’t mean it’s broken.” Lucy says, purposely playing up the stereotype that Americans are quick to dismiss things that don’t make sense to them. Kelley is smart. Lucy knows this about her, and while Kel might not be able to fully understand her accent, she is sure to pick up on the dig Lucy sends her way. It becomes evident that Kelley did in fact catch the underlying jab at her country when her face turns stony. Lucy can sense a retaliation coming, but it’s getting late and she wants to move things along, so she tries to soften. 

“Come on, dove. Let’s get this over with.” Lucy starts to walk in the direction of a small four story building. “The flat’s this way.” She calls over her shoulder, motioning for her new teammate to follow along. 

Kelley would normally put up a fight for several reasons, one of which is being called “dove” by a woman who generally drives her mad, but she’s too busy trying to decipher Lucy’s last sentence to spend much brain power on anything else. Isn’t her teammate supposed to show her where her new apartment is? And what the hell is a “flat”?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here we go...Let me know your thoughts/if you feel these two? I don't think there's been a Bro'hara story yet so this is rather uncharted territory.


	2. You’re Not Fine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dropping pans, boarding trains, and running laps.

NCAA College Cup Championship Game, December 2009

Kelley knows she’s pushing it. Stanford's been down a goal since the third minute of the game and Kelley has been playing her heart out, probably at the expense of her better judgement. She’s not an idiot. She’s aware her foul on McDonald could have been a card. In retrospect she’ll feel bad about being so rough with the forward, especially since McDonald seemed shook up after the hit, but right now Kelley is too focused on the game to think much on it. She tries to brush it off and use her intensity to control the game, but her emotions get the best of her.

It’s understandable why this match is getting to her. Kelley has a lot on the line, the Hermann Trophy for one, and her first College Cup championship. Not to mention it is her senior year and this will be the last game she ever plays in Cardinal red. She can’t fully explain the feeling of being both incredibly proud of what she’s accomplished with this team, and undeniably sad that she will be moving on soon. What Kelley does know is she’s never wanted to win a game so badly. She feels like her entire future is riding on this, and while the logical side of her brain knows that’s not true, that’s not the part that wins out at the moment.

Kelley is running too fast to stop fully, but admits she could have probably done a better job of avoiding the oncoming UNC player. Eveland goes down hard and while Kelley is annoyed when she sees the ref going for his pocket, she can’t say she’s too surprised.

What does surprise her is when a cheeky UNC freshmen has the nerve to come up to her while the ref temporarily stops play due to a shin guard incident involving one of the players.

“Oi, O’Hara.” the midfielder says in an accent. Kelley thinks it’s English but it’s a little rough and hard to understand, so she’s not entirely sure. “You need to settle down. I know you want to win, but the field’s a bloody mess. Someone’s likely to get injured if you keep this up.” Kelley can’t suppress an eye roll. She agrees that the rainy, cold conditions have made the pitch more unpredictable, but really, who does this kid think she is?

“I’m fine.” Kelley snaps back. “Why don’t you stop focusing on me and mind your own business. Maybe then you wouldn’t keep turning the ball over.” Lucy chooses to ignore the insult from the rival forward but can’t completely stop herself from responding,

“When you start fouling my teammates it becomes my business.” This earns her a leer from Kelley, who decides she’s done with this conversation.

“Then have your teammates stay out of my way.” Kelley growls back as she runs past the younger UNC player, intentionally bumping her shoulder into the slightly taller girl.

Lucy watches the freckled forward jog off to the opposite side of the field. She mindlessly rubs her smarting shoulder. Alright then, Lucy thinks, if that’s how you’re going to be.

It’s only three minutes later that Kelley’s clips Engen’s legs from behind. She rushes to get up and apologize but it’s too late, the damage is done. She sees the ref going for a second yellow card. Fuck. No, not now, not this game. Kelley silently pleads with the ref in her head. Please let this all be a terrible dream, she thinks. Two yellows equate to a red, meaning an automatic ejection from the game. Not to mention her teammates will have to finish the match a player down.

There’s nothing for it. She sees the flash of yellow and then red, and spins to storm off of the field. As she’s turning she locks eyes with that same UNC midfielder who had tried to tell her to calm down just minutes before. Kelley is fuming at the situation and sends a chilling glare towards the younger player, as if she’s the reason that Kelley couldn’t control her own emotions.

It’s not as though Lucy finds this _amusing_ per say, but frankly, did that snotty Stanford player really believe that this was in any way her fault? Lucy thinks the look the senior striker gives her is absolutely ridiculous. Maybe it’s the absurdity of it all that causes Lucy to react. It’s not her proudest moment, yet she can’t help but feel a little smug at the snarl appearing across her opponents lips as Lucy waves goodbye to Kelley while the latter exits the field.

Kelley storms off towards the sideline in frustration. Her coach gently pats her back when she sulks past him before slumping down on the bench. She does her best to focus on the rest of the game, willing the tears that are threatening to fall away. She manages to hold them back until the final whistle blows, but once she looks up at the score, she knows she won’t last much longer. This was her last time playing for her school, the last time playing with some of her best friends, and she’s a major part of the reason they lost. Lost the game, lost the championship, and soon they’ll lose each other. She doesn’t stick around to shake hands like she’s supposed to. She can’t bring herself to face it. Instead Kelley heads back to the empty locker room, curls up in the corner, and lets the sobs take over her body.

…

Lucy’s alarm goes off at 6:30am the next morning. It’s not as though she’s normally thrilled to get out of bed at this early hour, but today she’s having an extra hard time forcing herself out of the comfy sheets. As chance would have it, the apartment Kelley’s moving into is the one directly above hers, and someone definitely hadn’t adjusted to the new timezone yet. All night long Lucy was woken up by the pitter patter of feet above, and there were a few instances where Lucy swears she heard what sounded like falling pots and pans crash down onto the floor. Several times she debated grabbing the broom from her cupboard and banging on the ceiling, but she managed to find patience and was able to refrain. So all in all not the best night's sleep.

She groans once more before tossing the covers off and going about her morning. Lucy throws on her training gear, grabs a banana, and heads out the door. She is about to turn down the street when she remembers Kelley…

Kelley, who “obviously knows the difference between an American and European outlet after extensive experience abroad.” and _wasn’t_ about to severely overload the circuit by disregarding frequency variations.

Kelley, who persisted she “doesn’t need help with the phone to order delivery for dinner” and then definitely _didn’t_ proceed to walk down the street to the local cafe for a bite.

And Kelley, who had insisted that she was “perfectly capable of navigating the french metro system all on her own, thanks.” And while Lucy would rather enjoy it if O’Hara got lost on the public trains indefinitely, she had told her coach she would look out for the new arrival and intended to keep that promise.

Lucy internally sighs as she turns around and trudges up the stairs to Kelley’s apartment. Well, Lucy thinks, time to see if Miss “independent” is a morning person or not. She gives three knocks on Kelley’s door. Kelley answers quickly but her face falls once she recognizes her teammate.

“Oh, it’s you.” Kelley grumbles.

Oh Kelley, must you always be so charming? Lucy thinks. She shakes her head softly and then replies,

“Well yeah, were you expecting someone else?” Kelley doesn't answer Lucy. Instead she just walks away leaving the front door open. Lucy follows Kelley into the flat and sees what can only be described as chaos. “Uh, what exactly are you doing in here?” Lucy motions to the madness that is Kelley’s kitchen. Kelley looks at her as though she’s acting dumb, which Lucy does not appreciate.

“Obviously I had to completely rearrange the entire kitchen last night. I mean it didn’t make any sense to have the cups above the microwave and the plates above the sink!” Kelley’s arms are flailing as she explains, “And don’t even get me started on where they put the silverware. I’m sure you did the same thing when you moved in.”

Lucy had, in fact, not moved a single item when she moved in. What did it matter where things were as long as she took the time to memorize their locations? It doesn’t surprise her though that Kelley needs everything to be her way or the highway, or whatever that American expression is. Lucy really doesn’t feel like getting into it with Kelley this early in the morning, however, so she changes the subject,

“Right, erm, are you about ready to head out?” Again, Kelley looks at Lucy as though she’s daft.

“What, like right now? We still have an hour until we have to be at practice, and google maps said it only takes about twenty minutes to get there.” Google maps my ass, Lucy thinks. There’s no way it would only take twenty minutes to get across the city at this time of day. Lucy does her best to explain this calmly to her new teammate,

“Perhaps in the dead of night, but during rush hour it can take twice as long. Plus we’ve still got to get your metro card at the station and the queues will probably be ten people deep at this time.”

The Q’s? Kelley wonders. Is she going to have to answer questions just to get a train pass? Or is there some sort of exam she needs to take? Maybe they have to test her on platform safety or something before she can ride the metro? Kelley is suddenly snapped out of her thoughts by a pair of loud clapping hands.

“Come on O’Hara. Let’s keep it moving.” Lucy hustles Kelley along and they’re out the door five minutes later. As they make the short walk to the closest metro station, Lucy points out the various streets they turn down. It’s not a far walk, a little less than a kilometer, but the winding french roads can be a bit confusing. Kelley doesn’t seem to be paying attention to the streets at all though, too busy looking at all of the cute cafes and boutiques they pass.

The line for a train pass is thankfully shorter than usual, and they manage to get Kelley set up after just a few minutes. Lucy shows Kel which platform they need and is pleased to see a train pulling up. Perfect timing, Lucy thinks, as she goes to push her way onto the cramped car. Before she has a chance to, however, she feels Kelley’s fingers on her bicep tugging her back. Who knew the tiny woman could be so strong?

“What are you doing?” Lucy exclaims, “We needed to get on that!”

“It was too full, we wouldn't have fit.” Kelley argues. Lucy rolls her eyes but holds her tongue. She glances down at her wrist to check the time. They’ll be cutting it close, but it should be fine, assuming they catch the next train. When the second train pulls up to the platform, Lucy goes to board. She takes a step towards the doors and promptly has the wind knocked out of her.

“Kelley, what the fuck? Did you really just mom arm me?” It takes Lucy a second to regain her composure, but as she’s struggling for breath she hears Kelley mutter something about that car being “too crowded for comfort.” Lucy snaps.

“All the trains are effing crowded O’Hara! I’m getting on the next one, and God help me so are you!”

When the next train pulls up it’s the busiest of them all. Kelley gives the packed car a grimace, but before she knows it Lucy has pushed her way onto the train and is pulling Kelley in after her. Lucy manages to grab a hold of the bars overhead, but Kelley, who is sandwiched between the door and Lucy, can’t reach from where she’s standing. Lucy, noticing that Kelley doesn’t have anything to brace against, offers her arm.

“Here, you’ll want to hold on.” Kelley looks at the offending appendage and scoffs.

“I’m fine.” Lucy rolls her eyes again. Maybe she should start a daily tally?

“Suit yourself, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Lucy barely finishes her sentence before the train lurches into motion. Kelley, predictability, goes flying. She’s about to barrel into the unsuspecting man next to her, when Lucy catches her around the waist.

“You’re not fine.” Lucy speaks into Kelley’s ear, and then she proceeds to hold out her arm again.

Kelley, very reluctantly, holds on this time. The whole exchange pisses her off. She hates depending on anyone for anything, let alone a snarky Brit who thinks she’s got the upper hand. And if Kelley wasn’t so annoyed at the situation, she would notice the way it feels to be pressed up against Lucy’s body isn’t all bad, and that she actually smells rather nice, like sandalwood and vanilla. Kelley _is_ annoyed though, so she definitely does _not_ notice those things. The rest of the ride is silent except for when they are pulling up to their stop.

“Come on, this one’s ours.” Lucy guides Kelley towards the correct exit before they both start jogging in the direction of the training field. Even with the extra effort put in at the end, they arrive late to practice.

“Ladies, nice of you to join us. O’Hara head to the locker room to get your training gear. Bronze, ten minutes late, ten laps around the field.” Kelley looks guilty for a second and can’t help but ask,

“Wait, I don’t have to run any laps?”

“It was Bronze’s job to get you here on time today, O’Hara, not yours. Now move along.” Lucy lets out a frustrated huff, but doesn’t argue with her coach. She takes off around the pitch without another glance towards Kelley. If Lucy had looked, she might have seen the hint of remorse on the American’s face.

Kelley is completely wiped out by the time she gets back to her apartment. Les Lyonnaises definitely didn’t hold back on putting her through the ringer today. There was fitness testing, and drills, and then a small scrimmage. Thankfully she and Lucy were on opposite sides and made it the rest of the day without incident. They traveled back to their flats in near silence but Kelley didn’t mind. She was too busy replaying the rest of the day in her head. Did she make a good impression on the team? Will these trainers be as attentive to her ankle as her previous trainers? Had she played enough in the off season to prepare for this? Thoughts like these and more swirled in Kelley’s brain, and before she knew it, she and Lucy were climbing the stairs in their building.

“Night.” Kelley calls to Lucy as she starts up the final landing to her floor. Lucy seems surprised by the goodbye and does what Kelley can only describe as a double take.

“Uh, yeah, night.” Lucy mumbles. She seems to think for a second before asking, “Are you good to get to the station on your own tomorrow, or do you want me to-”

“Nope, I’ll be fine. See you at practice.” With that Kelley continues up the stairs, but not before hearing Lucy mutter a faint “Right then.” from the floor below her. Kelley knows that she should probably take Lucy up on her offer to walk with her to the metro in the morning, but her pride gets the better of her. Besides, she has her phone, which has a GPS. Really, how hard could it be?

Turns out, pretty fucking hard.

...

Day two with the American overhead. At least she was quieter last night, Lucy thinks as she wakes up the next morning. She gets ready for the day as usual and is eating a quick breakfast in her kitchen when she hears Kelley drop something (a plate? A glass?) on the floor above her, making it apparent that her teammate has not left for practice yet. When Lucy heads out she debates going up to Kelley’s flat and walking with her anyways, despite Kelley’s protests yesterday that she could find the station herself. Yet she knew if she showed up on Kelley’s doorstep the American would complain about how “she would have been fine on her own” or some similarly false statement, and Lucy really didn’t want to deal with Kelley’s attitude two mornings in a row.

No, it’s better to walk to the station and then just wait for Kelley out front, Lucy decides. That way she’s letting Kelley be independent, but also making sure she gets where she needs to be. As Lucy ambles down to the metro she can’t help but make the comparison that looking after her new teammate is rather what she imagines raising a teenager to be like. Lucy finds an empty bench in front of the station and sits.

Five minutes go by and she’s not worried, surly Kelley was wrapping up whatever she was breaking in her kitchen and would be there shortly.

Ten minutes go by and Lucy starts unconsciously shaking her legs. Any minute now Kelley, any minute. Lucy checks her watch and starts biting at her thumbnail.

Twenty minutes go by and there’s still no sign of her teammate. Fucking Christ O’Hara, Lucy thinks, and she starts jogging back towards their building. She makes sure to look down every street she passes in the off chance that Kelley is lost on one of them. As Lucy rounds her third corner she sees her. Kelley had made a wrong turn about three blocks away from her apartment and is frantically looking between her phone and the street signs.

Lucy doesn't even have time to roll her eyes at the wayward American. She just grabs a hold of Kelley’s arm and grumbles, “Come on then” as she drags Kelley to the train.

They are late. Again.

Their coach doesn’t bother looking up from his clipboard as he points to the field,

“Fifteen minutes, fifteen laps. O’Hara you get to join Bronze today.” With that he walks off towards the rest of the team and Lucy and Kelley begin to circle the pitch.

With all the extra laps Lucy is running because of her, Kelley O’Hara might just get Lucy in the best shape of her life. That is, if Lucy doesn’t kill her first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do we think? I’m open to suggestions/comments/queries about these two. How do you think they’d interact? What do you want to see? I have a general outline of the story but willing to work things in if it makes sense. 
> 
> TBH I’m not really sure how busy Lyon’s metro is in the morning, but let’s just imagine it’s really really crowded. Also we are pretending that the metro extends all the way to the stadium. I’ve never been to Lyon so not really sure how far it goes but alas this is fiction so bare with me. 
> 
> Finally I’m a silly American trying to add some more British words into this story so if I ever use an expression wrong please forgive me/feel free to let me know so I can fix it, thanks!


	3. Let The (Olympic) Games Begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If first impressions are everything, what are second impressions?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this AU Bronze gets called up a bit earlier so that she is a part of the Great Britain squad for the 2012 Olympics.

**_London England, one week before the 2012 Summer Olympics_ **

Kelley does _not_ want to go out tonight. Her team has been training in England for the past three weeks, preparing for the upcoming international tournament. They finally moved into their apartments in the Olympic village this afternoon, and now her friends are attempting to drag her to some nearby pub.

Normally _Kelley_ would be the one rallying the troops for a night out, but normally Kelley isn’t in the starting XI, normally Kelley isn’t playing on the defensive half of the field, and normally Kelley isn’t worried about making a fool of herself on national, no global, television. So yeah, nothing about this year has been normal. 

When Pia told Kelley that she was switching her to right back, Kelley thought she was joking. It wasn’t until Kelley was slotted into some defensive drills that she realized her couch was actually asking her to do this. Kelley, who had set school records at Stanford with her ability to find the back of the net, was now training as a defender. To say it was a tough transition would be an understatement. Kelley was a natural goal scorer, but her team didn’t need more of those. With players like Rapinoe, Morgan, and Wambach being so dominant on the front line, Kelley knew if she ever wanted to be a regular on the US Women’s National Team, she had to do what was asked of her. 

Finally, months later, all of her hard work had paid off as she was about to play in her first major tournament with the senior side. Yes Kelley had technically been with the team at the 2011 World Cup, but she wasn’t a starter, wasn’t seeing any minutes. Hell, she hadn’t even made the original squad and was only called up after one of her teammates went down in a send off game. 

There are very few people in the world who understand the unique agony accompanied with being the last player dropped from a World Cup roster, being so close to achieving your dream but falling short. There are even fewer people who know that pain and despite it, find themselves back with the team they’d just been cut from. Not because they earned it, not because they deserved it, but because one of their teammates, a role model, a friend, was injured. Still, the therapy-inducing trauma associated with her first World Cup experience aside, Kelley knew she was lucky to be on that team, and knew she would do whatever it took to stay on it.

And she did. She worked harder than she ever had, putting in extra time before and after practice to ensure she fit in seamlessly with the back line. Players like Hope Solo, Christie Rampone, and Amy Lepeilbet offered her advice and tips in practice, and Kelley tried to soak it all up. 

It worked.

Now she is a regular in the starting XI, and Pia told her going into the Olympics that Kelley is going to be her go-to at the right back position. Kelley’s role on this team is about as different as can be from her role a year ago. And while Kelley is proud to have pulled off what had seemed like an impossible ask from her coaches, and she’s proud to have earned her way onto the team this time, she is also experiencing immense amounts of stress. Last year she didn’t have to worry about letting her team down. She was a practice player and there for emotional support. The criticism from the media, the trash talk from other teams, and the pressure from her coaches, hadn’t affected her much. This year she feels it like an avalanche tumbling down on her.

So no, she’s not about to go get hammered even though play doesn’t start for another week. And no, she doesn’t want to tire her legs out dancing when she knows she has practice the next day. And no, she definitely does not need Tobin reminding her that she’s being a “buzzkill” for the third time that day. 

“Please Kel, we’re not going to do anything crazy. Just have a beer with us, explore the city a smidge. You know we’ll be in lock down once the games start so now’s our only chance to sight see. Besides, some of the girls from Great Britain's team will be there. It’ll be fun.” Ashlyn tries to reason with her stubborn friend, but Kelley’s anxiety about performing well makes her more aggressive than usual. 

Of course _you’re_ not worried, what do you have to be nervous for? You’re the alternate goalie! Two people would have to go down before you see any minutes. You could be drunk off your ass the whole time and it wouldn’t make a difference. Thankfully Kelley’s thoughts remain thoughts, but she can’t keep her facial expression neutral. Her defiant eyebrows and small frown are enough to make Abby intervene. 

“O’Hara you’re coming with us whether you like it or not because this excursion is now officially dubbed as a ‘team outing’” The veteran forward, upon seeing Kelley’s grimace grow, pulls her aside. “Look dude, you don’t have to drink. Just come hang with us and try to relax a little. Trust me, it’s better than holding up in your room and letting the pre-tourny panic set in.” 

Kelley forces herself to calm down. She respects Wambach too much to ever talk back to her, plus if this really is a “mandatory team event” Kelley supposes she has no choice. She takes a deep breath and relents, “Fine. When are we leaving?”

Meanwhile Lucy Bronze is just arriving at her national team’s favorite pub in London. Since the Olympic Squad also includes players from Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, the English players decide to invite everyone out to one of their mainstays for a bit of team bonding. Lucy, Steph Houghton, and Jill Scott grab a round of beers before tucking into a booth with several of their veteran players.

Lucy doesn’t consider herself shy necessarily, but she can’t deny she’s glad to have Steph and Jill around when she looks across the table and realizes she's in the company of Kelley Smith, Rachel Yankey, and Fara Williams. Even after a few months with the national team, Lucy still finds herself occasionally starstruck, a feeling that only intensifies as the seasoned players begin sending praise her way.

“So Bronze, I heard Coach telling the press that you’re the best fullback England’s ever seen.” Smith says, smiling over the top of her beer. Lucy instantly knows her face is scarlet, but before she can respond Yankey chips in,

“Yeah Kid you’ve won over the hearts of thousands of English soccer fans, and you haven’t even been here a year! Doesn’t surprise me though, you’re a natural.” The look Rachel’s giving her is filled with pride, and makes Lucy fidget more than usual. She manages to find her voice,

“I’ve just had great mentors is all. You lot trained me up well.”

“No chance Bronze, we’re good but not that good. How’s it feel anyways? Going into your first major tournament as a rising star?” 

Lucy takes a long sip of her beer because isn’t that a loaded question? Honestly she gets queasy anytime she dwells on it. Her team, coach, and country all put so much faith in her, and she’s still just a rookie. If she messes up this tournament the entire nation will think her a failure. Lucy’s never felt so stressed, and she prays everyday she will live up to expectations. But she can’t tell her idols, now teammates, that.

“Uh ‘spose I’m excited. Bit nervous though.”

“Oh that’s normal. Don’t get in a fluster, Kid. You’re going to be great.” Lucy sure hopes so. She doesn’t respond but smiles, and is filled with relief when the conversation steers away from her and towards the American team, who are unsurprisingly ranked number one in the world again. 

“They’re going to be the side to beat this year.” Lucy nods her agreement along with the rest of the table but doesn’t have too much to add. The Americans are always the team to beat. The veterans start speculating about where they think the United States might have some weaknesses. 

“Did you see they have O’Hara defending now? She’s been a forward all her life and only has a couple of games under her belt in that position. Could be a potential hole in their defense if you can catch her off guard.” Some of her teammates agree but Lucy doesn’t think it’s going to be quite so simple. 

She reflects back on playing against Kelley all those years ago. Even then she could see how tenacious Kelley was on the field. Lucy doubts the US coaches would put O’Hara in a defensive position unless she’s capable, and from what Lucy has seen, Kelley is pretty much capable of anything. Not that Lucy likes admitting that to herself. She still remembers how cheeky the American had been to her and her team at the college championship. Kelley even had the gall to skip shaking hands with UNC after the game, talk about poor sportsmanship. Still they had been young, and Lucy knows she’s matured a lot since that match, so maybe O’Hara has too. 

It’s not too much later that Lucy notices some of the players from the American team trickling into the pub. All three veteran players at their table leave to go greet various Americans, leaving Lucy, Jill, and Steph to marvel in awe at how much athletic talent is currently in the same room as them. 

Lucy scans the newcomers and sees _the_ Abby Wambach and _the_ Hope Solo talking with her English teammates. Lucy is in the middle of wishing she had the confidence to introduce herself to the football legends, when she remembers that there should be a few familiar faces walking in.

She spots Ashlyn Harris easily, thanks to her height, and sees the blonde goalkeeper dragging another former UNC teammate with her towards the bar. Lucy is about to go say hello when she sees that Tobin and Ash are not alone. Kelley is trudging in behind them and Lucy hesitates. It’s Jill’s voice that breaks through her thoughts.

“Hey Luce, didn’t you play college ball with them over there?” Lucy looks over and sees Jill gesturing towards the Americans at the bar. Lucy nods and Scott continues, “Well don’t let us stop you from saying hello. We can hold down the fort here.” She finishes, motioning her arms between herself and Steph. 

The thing is, Lucy _does_ want to go over there. Tobin and Ash were some of her closest friends during her brief stint in the States, and truthfully they are some of the funniest people she knows, but she’d rather avoid interacting with Kelley if she can. So she stalls. 

“That’s alright, I’ll say hi later, when they’re less, er, preoccupied.” Jill sends a confused look towards Lucy, but Steph seems to pick up on things immediately,

“Oh, I get it. You’re afraid of the small one with ‘em, aren't you? Don’t blame ya mate, She looks intimidating. Still, bet you could take her, you’ve got a couple of inches on her.” 

“What? No, I’m not _afraid_ of O’Hara. Just, would rather not talk to her.” Steph sends her a look that clearly reads ‘that sounds like you’re afraid to me, but I’m going to let it slide.’ Jill, on the other hand, seems to be having an epiphany,

“Oh _that’s_ Kelley O’Hara? Blimey, no wonder you’re scared to talk to her. She’s gorgeous.” 

“I told you I’m not scared, and sorry what did you call her?”

“Please Bronze. She’s a looker and you know it.”

“I do not.” Lucy scoffs, subconsciously sitting back and folding her arms across her chest.

Steph decides this is a good time to rejoin the conversation, “I heard she bats for your team Luce. I say go for it. Plus if she’s into it and you get in her head it can only help our chances at this point.” Lucy rolls her eyes, of course Houghton would find a way to make this about football. Lucy swears Steph is a captain in training if she’s ever seen one.

“Alright one, I would never hit on someone just to give us a better chance at winning a match, and two, there is a zero percent chance that Kelley is interested in me like that, I doubt she even remembers who I am.”

“Wait, you’ve met her before? How? I don’t even know her and I’ve been on the team longer than you have.” Questions Steph. Lucy is torn, not wanting to go into great detail about the last time she saw Kelley, but knowing her friends will continue to pester her until she answers.

“We played against each other when I was at UNC.” Lucy shrugs, “It was just one game but we sort of got in a small row.”

“Oh that settles it then.” Jill says adamantly. When Lucy seems befuddled Jill clarifies, “You clearly have a crush on the woman. That’s why you’re avoiding her.” Jill looks incredibly pleased with herself and Lucy doesn’t hesitate to correct her.

“I absolutely do not have a crush on her. She’s arrogant and pompous and, and-”

“And you find her well fit despite your best efforts.” 

Now Lucy is irritated. “I would never be attracted to someone like that.” She sets her beer mug down on the table harder than she meant to and the thud startles Steph. Lucy sends her an apologetic glance before Jill quips,

“Don’t mind her, she’s just smitten and won’t admit it.” Steph and Jill are both laughing at Lucy now, and even though she’s aware that her friends are only having a go at her, she can’t stop from reacting.

“You know I’m not smitten.”

“Right then, prove it. Go say hello.”

Concurrently, Kelley allows her friends to drag her up to the bartender once they arrive at the pub. She follows in behind Ash and Tobin, and hears them talking about some of the players from Great Britain’s team who they spotted when walking in.

“Did you see Lucy? I’m so pumped she was finally called up.” Tobin says enthusiastically.

“I know! Really it was only a matter of time before they realized how great she is. I read that her coach called her the best fullback in the WSL.” Ashlyn informs, sounding like a proud father. This confuses Kelley.

“Wait, I thought you just said she’s a rookie for England. How can she already be that good? And how do you two know her if she’s so new to the professional scene?” Kelley knows she sounds jealous, how could she not be? Here she is working her ass off trying to make her national team as a fullback, and apparently there’s this hotshot newbie across the pond making it look effortless.

“She played with us at UNC for a season.” Tobin responds, and Kelley can tell by how wide Tobin’s smile gets exactly which season it was. Great, another reason to dislike the British defender. She was an asset in the game that essentially humiliated Kelley in college (and still haunts her dreams), and is probably going to humiliate Kelley further at this tournament if anyone tries comparing the two defenders. Because while Kelley knows she’s come a long way since switching positions, she’s a far cry from being anywhere close to the “best.”

It takes a second for Ash to pick up on Tobin’s smugness, but once she does it clicks into place. “Oh that’s right! She helped us win the championship.” She turns towards Kelley with a half apologetic, half amused, smile “Sorry, rough game bud. But I guess you technically know her too then.”

Kelley is frowning as she racks her brain, she can’t recall any of UNC’s defenders being English, granted she didn’t really hear them speak much. “I don’t remember her. Which one is she?”

Tobin thumbs over her shoulder to the brunette who’s squished between two taller teammates. “She’s the one between Scott and Houghton.” Tobin explains. Kelley doesn’t need the explanation, though. As soon as her eyes land on the rookie, she recognizes her. Kelley feels her frown change from slightly loose to tight-lipped as she turns and grips her hands on the bar. Jesus, not this chick again. 

Back at the English table, Lucy is determined not to let her friends get the better of her. She musters up her courage, downs the rest of her drink, and scurries off towards the bar. She claps a hand on her former teammates shoulder, 

“Alright Tobin?” 

“Bronzer!” Tobin exclaims, throwing both of her hands in the air like a stoner at a rave. Lucy flashes a full smile, even in spite of her arm going numb after being punched hard by her former goalie. Ash then proceeds to put her in a headlock and while tousling Lucy’s hair, says, 

“When I first heard you were on team GB I figured they must be pretty desperate if they let a pipsqueak like you on the pitch, but I get it now. Damn Luce, when did you get so jacked?” Ash laughs and releases her, but not before making a show of squeezing Lucy’s bicep. Lucy blushes both from the compliment and from having all of the attention cast on her. She runs a hand along the back of her neck and looks down at the floor, 

“Come on lads. I wasn’t _that_ small when I played with you.”

“Even if that were true, you were still just a little freshman.” Ash says, as though that explains everything. Kelley, who Lucy had almost forgotten about, finally speaks up.

“You were only 18 when we played?” Her tone is not what Lucy would expect, surprised, maybe even slightly impressed. No, her tone is well, stern, and a little accusatory. As though Kelley feels insulted at having played against someone so young. It doesn’t help Lucy’s nerves, but it also doesn’t stop her from correcting Kelley.

“17 actually, I did Uni a year early.” The truth is Lucy moved to the States for college early because she’d been cut from any decent soccer academy in England, but Kelley certainly doesn’t need to know that. 

Tobin, completely unaware of the tension between the two defenders, chimes in. “Yeah dude.” She says, “You were like our kid sister, but like, the kid sister that you like, you know?” She turns to Ash and sighs, “They just grow up so fast don’t they?”

Ashlyn grins, “They sure do, hon.” Then both of them drop the game and hug Lucy. “Seriously, we’re so happy you’re playing.”

“Yeah man. You deserve it.”

Again Lucy feels her face aflame with redness. The praise from her former teammates fills her both with joy and dread. She is honored that they think so highly of her, but now she has to add them to the list of people she’s terrified to let down if she doesn’t perform well. She tries not to brood on the growing number of people on that list, and decides she needs another drink. Ashlyn is pulled away by a cute brunette, who she’s thinks might be an American defender, so Lucy turns towards Tobin and asks,

“Whatcha drinking mate?” 

Tobin just shrugs, “Beer I guess. You know me, nothing fancy.” 

Lucy is about to order two pints before she remembers her manners, “Kelley,” She hesitates under the glare O’Hara gives her, “uh, what are you drinking?” And if Lucy thinks this is going to initiate a peace treaty with the Georgian, she’s very wrong. Kelley, if anything, looks angrier and grits out,

“I’m not.”

Right. Of course not. She should have known Miss Priss wouldn’t accept her offer.

“Alright then.” Lucy mumbles to herself. She gets the bartender’s attention and when she has two beers in hand, turns to pass one to Tobin, who unfortunately is getting dragged away by a slim striker Lucy recognizes as Alex Morgan to play a game of darts. Brilliant, it’s just her and Kelley now. Lucy strives for civility once again and extends her arm towards Kelley.

“Seems like this is for you then.” She tries. Kelley looks appalled, which Lucy finds mildly offensive.

“I’m not drinking _that_.” Now Lucy finds it majorly offensive.

“Don’t be rude, Kelley. Just take the beer.” Kelley glowers at her but seems to decide it’s more trouble to refuse the drink than to accept it and brings the pint to her lips. She sips but doesn’t comment. At least O’Hara’s not complaining about the taste, so Lucy considers it a small victory. She uses this thought as fuel hoping to start a friendly conversation.

“So...I heard you’re starting at fullback now. How’s that going?” Lucy is genuinely curious as to how Kelley is dealing with the transition, because she knows how difficult it can be, especially considering the high level of play. Kelley, regrettably, doesn’t seem to take it that way. No, Kelley thinks that Bronze is goading her. She openly scoffs at Lucy,

“Ha, like I’m going to tell you, Miss ‘best right back in the world.’” Lucy thinks Kelley must be kidding, but the furrowed eyebrows and general scowl on her face would indicate otherwise.

“What? Who’s that supposed to be? Not me surely.” Lucy asks incredulously, because she absolutely does not need even more pressure put on her, particularly from someone like Kelley. 

“Please, don’t pretend like you’re not thrilled at the accolade. Although it is a rather unproven title, don’t you think?” Kelley doesn’t wait for Bronze to respond, “Guess we’ll just have to see how you do in the tournament. After all, it would be such a shame if you choked and let your country down, especially considering y’all are the host nation.”

Lucy’s jaw drops in shock. She has no idea if O’Hara is intentionally zeroing in on all of her own insecurities, or if it happens to be an unfortunate coincidence, but either way she can’t control her frustration anymore,

“How ‘bout you leave me be and just focus on not fouling out of the tournament this time ‘round, yeah?”

It’s a low jab. Lucy knows it, but Kelley is being so incredibly infuriating and Bronze hasn’t exactly been in the best head space. She can’t deal with the American any longer. Lucy turns on her heels without waiting for Kelley’s response and walks back towards Jill and Steph. 

They greet her with eager faces and Jill asks,

“So, how’d it go? Did ya say hello?” 

Lucy can’t help but squirm in her seat, “Erm... kind of.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Sorry, this took longer to get out than I wanted, mostly because WOW there is so much going on in the world right now! Good news is I have most of the next chapter already written so hopefully will be updating again soon.
> 
> 2\. I have a few more flashbacks outlined but wanted to see how we’re feeling about them, are they interesting? Are they confusing? Is there any particular time/game/tournament you’d like to see worked in?
> 
> 3\. Hope everyone is staying well, staying strong, and...watching soccer!! DTFO, but also go Red Stars! It’s going to be a great final matchup. 
> 
> 4\. Finally, how are we feeling about the new Angel City expansion:  
> a.) Happy the NWSL is getting enough traction to support two expansion teams in two years?  
> b.) Nervous that Angel City is going to become an unstoppable force that tears through all the other teams? (Because who wouldn’t want to play for them?)  
> c.) Having panic attacks at the thought of how shook up the league is going to be after two expansion drafts?
> 
> Let me know your thoughts :)


	4. Unexpected Smiles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kelley has a bad day

Practice with Lyon is brutal. The intensity level is so much higher than what Kelley ever experienced with any of her NWSL club teams, and it rivals what she’s come to expect whenever she is with the national team. 

Still, even when she _is_ with the national team, people aren't, well, for lack of a better word, _hostile_. Kelley knew the French league had a reputation for severe coaches and passionate players, but she always imagined that it would be similar to what she experienced when with the US squad. Yes if you messed up you got your ass handed to you, but you also got a pat on the back or a good job when you did something right. But here Kelley feels as though she could score a goal and if she is lucky it might warrant a small head nod. 

By the end of her second practice she’s been yelled at by no fewer than six teammates and four different coaches,

“You’re holding onto the ball too long, you need to quicken your release!”

“Why did you dive in on that last run? She nearly got past you!” 

“You’re not stretching your calf correctly, is that what they teach you in the states?” 

Kelley generally prides herself on her ability to take _constructive_ criticism and learn from it, but this feels suspiciously like it’s toeing the line of deconstructive criticism. No one is offering to show her how to improve, only berating her for the way she’s currently doing it. She knows she can’t be doing everything wrong, cough- there’s a reason she was voted into the FIFA top 11 last year- cough, but her new team is treating her as though it’s her rookie season again. 

It’s the first time since she’s left for France that Kelley worries she’s made a mistake. She always assumed it was her work ethic, attitude, and determination that made her successful, but her new team throws this theory into disarray. Kelley starts to second guess everything. Maybe she isn’t as good as she thought? Maybe she was only ever successful because her teams, her coaches, and her family all believed in her? They lifted her up. Now, without the support systems she’s apparently so dependent on, Kelley is floundering. Is she going to regret coming here? She thought the change would elevate her game, not set it back. 

Kelley keeps her composure during cool down and in the training room afterwards, but as she and Lucy walk towards the metro station, the English player can feel the deflation emanating off of her American counterpart. 

Lucy had seen the way her coaches and teammates were acting towards Kelley. It is a common tactic Lyon employs when a new player joins the team, especially when that player has a reputation as big as Kelley’s. The general idea is to break a player down for the first few practices, to make it clear that this club functions as a team and isn’t going to show special treatment to any individuals. Lucy doesn’t necessarily agree with the approach, recognizing how damaging to mental health, confidence, and general well-being it can be, but Lyon’s trophy case is hard to argue against. Still, Lucy remembers what it felt like when she showed up here and takes pity on her fellow defender. She tries to give some reassurance,

“Hey, Kelley. Listen, I promise every practice won’t be like that.” Lucy starts. Kelley doesn’t respond vocally but does turn her head and raises an eyebrow as if she’s confused by what Bronze is talking about. Lucy feels the need to clarify. “I mean the players, the coaches, they won’t always be so hard on you. You’re just new so they’re bound to pounce on any mistakes.” Kelley’s eyes narrow and Lucy can already tell she said the wrong thing.

“Are you saying I had a bad practice?” It’s a dangerous tone, not overly loud, but one that cuts through the air crystal clear. Kelley is challenging her, daring her to state the obvious, that practice was a train-wreck. And Lucy should really know better by now than to fall for Kelley’s set up, but despite her better judgement she doesn't back down. 

“Are you saying you didn’t?” Lucy had seen at least five different people snap at O’Hara. She knows that Kelley knows today went terribly, so she’s not going to just give in, even if she does feel slightly sorry for the other woman. Besides she tried the soft approach earlier and Kelley didn’t take kindly to it. Perhaps the only way to reason with the American is to fight fire with fire?

Evidently Kelley is feeling too scorched to reply. She throws an impressive pair of daggers at Lucy before shifting her large purse on her shoulder and heading towards the approaching train. Lucy can’t help but think that Kelley looks rather ridiculous with her huge bag stuffed to the brim. After all, everyone on the team was issued a backpack, but Lucy supposes Kelley must have her own “preferences.” She follows Kelley onto the platform but decides to give the American some space.

Lucy winds up boarding the train first and Kelley purposefully sits several seats away from her. While Kelley concedes that Lucy may have been trying to help or relate or whatever, she’s too disappointed in herself to reflect on today’s practice, much less discuss it with the player she’s competing for a starting spot against.

Kelley is in the process of digging a book out of the massive purse in her lap, looking for something to take her mind off of things, when her phone suddenly rings. She sees Alex’s name flashing across her screen. She wants nothing more than to vent to her best friend about the day’s events but feels funny about talking on the train. She answers quickly, explains to Alex that she’s on her way home and asks if she can call her back in an hour, before shoving her phone back into her bag. She manages to find her book and is about to start reading when she hears two passengers nearby snickering. 

Kelley subtly looks over and sees two tall men eyeing her. At first she thinks she’s being paranoid and goes back to reading, but then she picks up on a few fragments of their conversation. Her French still needs a lot of work but she distinctly hears the phrases, “Loud American...phone...open purse...easy target,” and it makes her anxious. They continue talking and while Kelley can’t understand the exact words they’re saying, she can tell by their tone and crude laughter that she wouldn’t like it if she could.

Kelley chances another glance towards the strangers, and sure enough when Kelley looks up she sees them both leering at her. She feels her heart rate spike, fight or flight instincts kicking in, but before panic fully overtakes her body, she senses the presence of another person sliding into the seat next to her. 

Lucy gently closes Kelley’s bag, making sure it is secure, before resting her arm protectively on the back of Kelley’s chair and leaning across her teammate to address the two men. She speaks too low and too quickly for Kelley to understand her french, but the strangers appear to comprehend her perfectly. They send a rude hand gesture towards the pair of women, but proceed to shut up. At the next stop Lucy glares after the men as they exit the train. It’s once they’re completely out of sight, that Lucy removes her arm from around Kelley’s seat. She turns to face her, 

“You okay?” It’s the softest Lucy’s ever spoken to the American. She sees Kelley visibly shiver and swallow, but when her teammate responds her voice is even,

“Yeah, fine.” Kelley won’t look at Lucy, won’t look anywhere but the open pages in front of her, but Lucy can see her eyes blinking rapidly. Lucy doesn't push any further, but she also doesn’t return to her old seat, opting to stay next to Kelley for the remainder of the ride. 

Their knees occasionally bump when the train turns, yet Kelley either doesn’t notice or chooses not to comment. Lucy glances over at her teammate every now and then, for any sign, any emotion, but Kelley appears to be deep in thought. Lucy notices that while Kelley’s eyes stay glued to her book, she has yet to turn the page in over fifteen minutes. 

When they walk back to their building, Kelley is quiet. Not the kind of quiet from before, the silent, seething type. No, this is an eerie quiet, an unsettling quiet. Lucy can’t stand it. She’s desperate to break the silence but doesn't know how to comfort her easily set off teammate. She decides relatability might be the way to go.

“Did I ever tell you about my first week in Lyon?” Lucy asks. Kelley finally looks at her, and her expression is neutral, impossible to read, but she shakes her head and lets Lucy continue, “Right well, I was on my way back home after my first practice and had my headphones on, just standing on the platform minding my own business. A train was pulling up when I felt two kids bump into me. They jostled me so hard that my backpack fell right off. I didn’t even notice it was on the ground at first because the one kid was apologizing to me so much and I was sputtering out the little french I knew to try and assure him it was alright. But then his friend handed me my backpack and they both scampered. I was rushing to catch the train so I didn’t think much of it, ‘til I sat down and noticed my bag was open.”

“They had taken my wallet. It had everything in it, credit card, debit card, metro pass, ID. I immediately went to the police, had to tell them I was robbed by two thirteen-year-olds and asked them how to go about replacing my ID. Like I said, My french was unbearable at the time so the conversation consisted mostly of me miming the whole incident and then them yelling at me in french that they couldn’t understand me.” 

“Eventually I gave up and went home so I could cancel my bank cards and have new ones shipped. Thankfully that part was easy since I use an English bank, but it was still going to take several days to arrive. In the meantime I had to survive off of the thirty euros that I had taken out of an ATM and left on my kitchen table, ten of which I knew would be spent on a new metro card the next morning.”

“I thought my best bet would be to shop for groceries. You know, stretch my money a bit instead of going out to eat. The only problem was I couldn’t understand most of the labels on the food, couldn’t read what I was buying. I went to buy biscuits and tea for breakfast and ended up with soggy dog treats at the bottom of my mug. The chicken noodle soup I bought for dinner turned out to be just chicken broth, and what I thought was a large tub of yogurt was actually an absurd amount of heavy cream. I was way too embarrassed to admit to any of my teammates what happened, so I opted to just go hungry for a few days. So yeah, essentially it was a- what is it you Americans call it? An ‘epic fail’?” Lucy purposely pauses her story here, trying to see if she can get a response out of her companion. 

“Sounds about right.” Is all Kelley offers, but when Lucy’s eyes dart sideways to gauge her reaction, she sees a small smile tugging at the corners of the older woman’s mouth, indicating that Kelley is, at the very least, amused. Lucy forges on,

“Completely. It took me one more day of incessant stomach growling before I finally swallowed my pride and asked Ada Hegerberg if she’d be willing to help me shop for food. She didn’t mind at all, welcomed the company in fact. We went the next day and Ada spent the entire time telling me about her first week in France. How she accidentally ended up going to a strip club that she thought was a movie theater, and managed to tie-dye all of her laundry because she mixed up the words for hot and cold when selecting the water temperature....Do you see my point?”

“I believe so.” Kelley replies. Another short answer. Lucy thinks maybe she’s not getting through to her but then Kelley continues, “You might not have figured this out yet, but I’m not very good at asking for help. I’m somewhat strong willed. Some would even say stubborn.” 

Lucy is astonished that Kelley openly admits it, “Really, you think so? Hadn’t noticed. Repeatedly. For years now.” Kelley stops abruptly so Lucy does too, she’s a little nervous that she set Kelley off again, so she’s surprised when she hears Kelley chuckling, and nonplussed when she catches a full smile on Kelley’s face. It might be the first time she’s ever seen Kelley really smile, at least directed towards her, and it’s nice.

“Yeah I guess you have.” They walk a block more before Lucy hears words she wouldn’t have thought Kelley capable of speaking “Thanks, by the way. For- for the stuff on the train, and for offering to help me get to practice. If it still stands, I’ll take you up on it. I don’t want us running laps every day.”

Lucy tries not to let her shock show on her face. “Yeah, the offer still stands.” Lucy nods, and then drops conversation, letting silence settle between them once again. Only this time it’s not awkward. Lucy can’t exactly call it comfortable, but she thinks it might be something close.

As they approach their building, Kelley begins rifling through her large purse yet again. Lucy lets her look for her keys for ten seconds before reaching into her own pockets and pulling out her set. “Here, let me. I’ve got mine out already.” Kelley steps back to let Lucy unlock the door, and even looks a little bashful as Lucy holds it open to let Kelley through. It’s quiet, but Lucy hears the mumbled ‘thanks’ the defender gives her as she passes over the threshold. Lucy simply smiles at Kelley but as she eyes Kelley’s bag a thought comes to her,

“You know, if you’re going to insist on lugging that huge thing around, you might as well invest in some pepper spray. Lord knows you have enough room for it in there.” 

“It’s called a purse Bronze, maybe you’ve heard of it? And I’m pretty sure 99% of women carry one so stop acting like I’m the oddball here Miss ‘i’ll just use my athletic bag for everything.’” Kelley is still smiling, but some of the bite that Lucy is accustomed to hearing is evident in her voice. Is Kelley actually teasing her? Not in the usual malicious way, but good naturedly joking?

Lucy looks back over her shoulder at her own bag, “What’s wrong with an athletic bag? We _are_ athletes.”

“Please. What do you do if you go on a date, hmm? Don’t tell me you bring a bulking backpack.” And Kelley mentioning going on dates sits a bit funny with Lucy, but she shoves that notion down for now. Plenty of time to dissect it later. 

“I own purses O’Hara, just- smaller ones, and I only use ‘em when I’m dressed up.” Lucy thinks that answer is justified enough, but if Kelley is teasing her it would be a waste not to return the favor, “Carrying one that big around though,” Lucy gestures towards Kelley’s bag as she tuts, “I dunno. Seems a bit fussy.” 

Kelley picks up on Lucy’s playful tone and keeps the banter going, “Yeah well, pepper spray seems _a bit_ extreme.” Kelley purposely parrots Lucy, the latter of whom shrugs and softens, her tone decidedly more serious than before,

“I carry one, especially if I’m by myself.” As they climb the stairs, Kelley doesn’t make any indication that she’s going to agree. Lucy leaves it be until they reach her floor. Kelley is only one step into her last flight of stairs when Lucy calls after her, “Kelley?” The shorter brunette turns to look back at her teammate. “Just consider it alright?” 

Kelley hesitates. She doesn’t really think the mace is necessary but also she knows Bronze wouldn’t joke about recommending it. Kelley nods in Lucy’s direction, which wins her a grin from her British teammate, “Alright then.” Lucy turns to unlock the door to her flat but registers that Kelley is still standing on the stairs. When she looks back at the American she can see Kelley’s face twisting into a grimace,

“Do you think every practice will be that bad?” Again Kelley takes Lucy by surprise. Lucy searches Kelley’s face for any trace that this could be a trap, but Kelley’s expression if anything only seems anxious. Kelley seems to take Lucy’s hesitation as a bad sign and her shoulders slump, her eyes trail down to the floor.

“No.” Lucy starts, causing Kelley to glance up at her again, “They’ll get better, I promise. I know the girls can be pretty, uh, serious, on the pitch, but they really are all great once you get to know them.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Just give it some time, Kel. After all, you did just knock their national team out of the World Cup, and on home soil. They’re bound to be a little bitter.” This seems to be what Kelley was looking for as Lucy notices her smile growing wide again. Then Kelley’s expression changes, her left eyebrow quirking upwards as her smile fades into a smirk,

“And what about you... Are you bitter?” Again Kelley’s tone confuses Lucy. She can hear the challenge in Kelley’s words, but there’s also something else, something suggestive? Something flirty? But that can’t be right, so Lucy focuses on the question at hand. Was she bitter about the World Cup? Of course she wishes that her team had won. More than anything. But the game between the English and American sides had been emotional and well fought. And while the match had ended in devastation for her teammates, dwelling on it excessively helps no one.

“Disappointed- sure, heartbroken- definitely, but bitter? No, I sincerely hope not.” 

Kelley appears to accept this answer and begins stepping up the stairs. She gets to the landing before she speaks again, “See you tomorrow Lucy.”

“Right, see you tomorrow.”

As Lucy shuffles through her door she realizes that was probably the most pleasant conversation she’s ever had with Kelley. It’s too bad it took almost getting jumped to get there, but at least Lucy is feeling better about the two of them. They're still not friends, one semi-decent conversation doesn’t undo years of excruciating interactions. But maybe, just maybe, Lucy will survive this whole “teammates” thing after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not entirely sure how to describe the direction of where this is going but I'll try...It's like a slow burn into a third degree burn into an aloe vera scrub... so take that as you will. 
> 
> Let me know if you're still liking it and I'll keep plugging away :)


	5. Shifting Dynamics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kelley comes to a conclusion, but will she keep her resolution?

_ February 13, 2015, Milton Keyes, England:  _

She hasn’t seen Lucy in years, well not in person anyways. Unfortunately the English defender seems to be one of the coaches favorites to study on film days as her technique is ‘unparalleled in the women's game.’ And if Kelley happens to catch the occasional English match on TV, who can blame her? It’s always a good idea to keep an eye on the competition. 

It’s not as though Kelley thinks about Lucy, because she doesn’t, like at all. Still, Kelley knows this will be this first time seeing Lucy since the London Olympics. The US team hasn’t played against the English side in over three years, and with the upcoming World Cup, they want to play as many quality teams as possible.

Kelley plays in the friendly, but just barely, getting subbed on during the second minute of extra time. Did it hurt her ego to go from playing every minute of the Olympics, to becoming a substitution used more for time wasting than actual game play? Absolutely. But Kelley is getting a chance to play up front again, and she is still a regular on the national team. While it’s yet another transition into a new role, she’s trying to take it in stride. 

They win the match 1-0. Kelley joins her team in shaking the British player’s hands, feeling a little out of place wishing them a ‘good game’ considering she really only played for 90 seconds. When she sees Bronze approaching her, she stills. Lucy is a mess. Her muddy, stained, socks stick to legs that look battered, her shirt is drenched and clinging to her body, her hair poking out wildly after enduring a full 90 minutes worth of headers, and Kelley, who barely broke a sweat, is jealous of it all. 

“O’Hara.” Lucy says cautiously, before extending her hand, “Good match.”

“Good game.” Kelley drops Lucy’s hand and thinks it’s for the best when Lucy doesn’t linger. The Brit walks off towards her side of the pitch, but not before using her shirt to wipe her forehead, momentarily exposing skin underneath. Kelley glares at Lucy’s stomach. Of course Bronze as a six pack. 

The teams file off the field and Kelley falls in line behind Ashlyn and Pinoe, who are unsurprisingly discussing who they think the hottest player on the English side is. Kelley tunes them out for the most part, too busy trying to work out if she’s proud she got minutes today or disappointed that she hardly played. Kelley gets to her designated locker and starts changing out of her kit when she picks up more of her teammates conversation,

“What about Bronze? Uhm, hello- have you seen her arms? Her abs? Well her whole body honestly. She’s like a lesbian’s wet dream.” Pinoe elaborates, arms flailing as she ticks off all of Lucy’s “attributes” on her fingers. Kelley, noting the direction the conversation is taking, decides to take a long sip of water. She doesn’t realize Pinoe turns towards her until it’s too late, “Don’t you think O’Hara?”

Kelley chokes, badly. She sputters out, “What? Why are you asking me?” 

“Uh, because Ash and Tobin are both taken and I’m hoping to gain some more perspective?” Kelley does not want to answer this question, but miraculously Ashlyn speaks up,

“Hey just because I’m taken doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate beauty when I see it. Bronze is one fine lady. Not my type, but damn if I was a bottom...wooh.” She fans herself on the last word. 

Ash’s comment perplexes Kelley and her curiosity gets the better of her, “What do you mean?” Pinoe starts laughing at Kelley so she turns to her questioningly,

“Oh come on Kel, I thought you’d have better ‘top-dare.’ Bronze is totally a boss in bed.” 

“Yeah and like, have you seen me O’Hara? You know I couldn’t get down with another alpha, we’d destroy each other....what?” Alshyn asks Kelley, because the latter’s jaw is completely unhinged. The keeper follows up with, “Do you disagree?”

“With what?” squeaks a completely exasperated Kelley. 

“That Bronze is a top? You seem shocked.” 

That’s because Kelley  _ is _ shocked, or perhaps short circuited, “I, uh- I don’t- I’ve never thought-”

Pinoe lets out a booming laugh, “Oh she agrees alright.” Kelley feels the blush creeping across her face and turns away from her teammates. Thankfully they move on to Alex Greenwood and Kelley is left with her thoughts. 

Maybe it would have been better if she wasn’t, because now she can’t get her brain to think about anything except Lucy. Lucy and her dominance on the field, and how that might translate into the bedroom. It’s not that Kelley is  _ enjoying _ thinking about it, but after her teammates put the thoughts in her head, how could she not wonder? Wonder about what it would be like, so different from what Kelley is used to.

Typically  _ she _ was the one leading things in that department, sort of a side effect when all of the girls you date weigh approximately 100 lbs. So she’s never really imagined what could happen if she were with someone where there is a push and pull, more of a dance around who is going to take charge. And she can’t even begin to contemplate what it would be like to let go of that control completely, to give herself over to Lu-to someone like that.

Except apparently she can imagine it, because as Kelley shifts her legs, she feels the wetness pooled between them, and she knows her fluttering heart rate has nothing to do with the game she barely played in. She’s more turned on than she can ever remember, and  _ that _ is a problem. 

...

Kelley wakes up the following morning feeling conflicted. On one hand she enjoyed getting to know Lucy a little better, seeing the softer side of the English woman. But on the other hand, Lucy being kind to her had opened the flirting floodgates that Kelley spent so many years keeping carefully closed. It surprised Kelley, how easy it was to let her attraction to the other woman consume her thoughts when she let her guard down. It surprised her, and it scared her. 

So now, Kelley is sipping on her morning coffee, feeling torn. She wants to get along with her teammate, at the very least to ensure a good team dynamic, but she’s afraid that the more she gets to know Lucy, the more she’ll like her. And she absolutely cannot like her teammate...not like that anyway.

Kelley sighs sadly, only able to come to one conclusion, she’ll have to push Lucy away. She doesn’t want to, but it’s the only way to ensure self preservation. Besides, she’s gotten very good at brushing off Bronze over the years, both intentionally and unintentionally, so it’s nothing new really. 

She works through her morning routine mindlessly, more focused on getting her head right before heading out to practice. Training gear - check, laces- tied, keys- affirmative. Knowing she has everything she needs and no reason to stall any longer, Kelley heads out the door. She trots down the stairs to Lucy’s floor and knocks. The British defender opens the door a few seconds later,

“Morning Kelley.” It’s not overly bright or enthusiastic, but it is accompanied with a smile. The smile makes Kelley’s stomach churn. She forces herself not to smile back,

“Ready?” Without waiting for Lucy’s response, Kelley walks off. The English woman hastens to lock her door before jogging the few steps to catch up with the American. She’s not sure why her teammate is in such a hurry.

“So, I heard we’re going to be scrimmaging at practice today.” Kelley doesn’t respond so Lucy tries joking with the woman, “If you think I’m going easy on you because you’re new, you’ve got another thing coming, Miss America.” At this, Kelley scoffs,

“You could give it 110% and you still wouldn’t be a threat to me. If I was you I’d be more concerned about staying out of my way than ‘going easy on me.’ I plan to prove that I deserve to be here, one way or another.” Her tone confuses the Brit. Where Lucy’s words had been light and harmless, Kelley’s are heavy and serious. It did not sound as though Kelley’s kidding around, but Lucy also can’t understand why she would be so worked up again. 

Deciding to give Kelley the benefit of the doubt, Bronze keeps up her teasing tone, “I’m sure I’ll have no problem keeping you in check, grandma.” 

“Excuse you! Just because you’re younger and hot- hotheaded does  _ not _ mean I am a grandma.”

“Dunno, you sure have a granny’s purse if I’ve ever seen one… And you really think I’m the one with a temper?” Kelley finally looks at Lucy,

“It’s not like you help the situation! You push back just as hard.” 

Lucy shrugs, “Well yeah, I’m no pansy When someone gets in my face, I’ll give it back.”

“Maybe that’s your problem! If you just learned to control your emotions a little…” Lucy can’t believe her ears. Is Kelley being serious?

“Because you can control yours? I don’t think so Kelley.” They finish their walk in silence, Lucy not really understanding what that conversation was. She chalks it up to Kelley having woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. 

Kelley, for her part, can’t wait to get to practice. Having the coaches and other players around them will provide Kelley with some much needed space, and after the way she’s treated her this morning, she’s guessing Lucy will welcome the distance as well. Only apparently Kelley must have done something in a past life to severely smite somebody, because when the pair gets to the training facility their coaches tell them they have a morning weight session.

“Bronze, O’Hara, you can buddy up in the rotation today.” No fucking way. Kelley’s distraught face must be visible to Lucy because the English woman instantly smirks and attempts to diffuse the situation with humor,

“What O’Hara? Worried I’m too strong for you? Worried you won’t be able to spot me?” 

Kelley mumbles a seething, “No.” in the direction of her teammate, before heading over to the first workout station. 

Kelley does her best to avoid looking at Bronze. It’s not too hard when she’s the one exercising. She can usually find a very interesting piece of wall to hold her attention. It’s a lot harder to look away from Lucy when they switch, when Lucy’s the one working out. When looking at Lucy is basically in the job description, because how else is Kelley supposed to spot her? 

The first few stations they work through Kelley battles internally between feeling guilty for looking, and feeling guilty for not looking and letting someone possibly get hurt. She decides that safety needs to come first and resigns to spotting her teammate like she’s supposed to. And since she’s basically being forced to look, she might as well enjoy...

Kelley learns that, when she lets herself, there’s quite a lot to enjoy. The fitted tank top Bronze is wearing gives Kelley full access to appreciate her teammate’s toned arms, shredded shoulders, and chiseled back. Kelley’s close enough that she can’t drown out the small puffs of air her teammate lets out with each exercise and those definitely send her mind to a place she’d rather not visit.

They make it to the last station, squats, and it is simultaneously the best and worst rotation. Once they finish, Kelley is amazed she’s still standing. She practically sprints onto the pitch for the second half of practice, and the fresh air hits her like a cold shower. 

Lucy’s tip off was indeed correct because after a few drills, the team is split up for a scrimmage. Lucy and Kelley are on opposite teams as they expected, but Bronze gets slotted up into the midfield instead of in the backline. They manage to avoid each other for the first twenty minutes of play, but when Bronze creates a turnover and has an open field in front of her, Kelley intervenes. 

She times the tackle perfectly, getting all ball and shutting down Lucy’s attack. The only problem is that Lucy didn’t see Kelley coming in for the challenge and is taken by surprise. She trips over the American and falls on top of the slightly smaller woman. It takes her a second to gather herself and in the process of making sure she’s not hurt, her eyes land on Kelley’s. Kelley, who is breathing heavily, who has yet to tear her eyes away from Lucy’s. Lucy feels the beginnings of a smirk tugging at her lips before-

“Get the fuck off of me Bronze.” Kelley’s harsh words are followed with a push to Bronze’s shoulders. The English woman is taken aback but moves to get up. Kelley jogs away without another word, no apology for the tackle, even though it’s just practice. Lucy decides in this moment that she’s had enough. She’s tried being nice to the American, she’s tried being funny, she’s tried every tactic she can think of throughout the years and every time Kelley reacts the same way. If Kelley is going to blow up at her no matter what she does, then Lucy might as well have some fun with it.

It’s a few plays later when Lucy gets her chance. Kelley has the ball and is making her way up the side of the field, trying to feed into one of the strikers. Lucy doesn’t need to slide, choosing to run up and throw her weight into Kelley. It knocks Kelley off the ball long enough for Lucy to get a foot on it. They battle it out near the sideline, both of them shoving and trying to get the upper hand.

Lucy doesn't miss it when Kelley lets out a sound in frustration. She provokes her teammate,

“What’s the matter shorty? Can’t keep up?” It has the desired effect. Kelley being so annoyed with Lucy that she missteps and Lucy is able to send the ball across the field to her teammate.

The scrimmage continues this way. Kelley comes in way too hard with every challenge, and Lucy badgers the American every chance she can. She realizes that, now that she’s not concerned with getting in Kelley’s good graces, it’s actually quite fun getting the freckled woman all riled up. 

When the whistle finally blows, Kelley storms as far away from Lucy as possible. The team catches their breath before cool down and just when they are getting ready to file into the changing room, their coach speaks up,

“If everyone could give me a few more minutes, I have someone who you’ll all be very excited to meet.” 

The team gathers round the coach, and despite the space she’s trying to keep between them, Kelley locks eyes with Lucy from across the circle that’s formed. She drops her gaze immediately and focuses on what her coach is saying,

“As some of you may know, we have several players leaving the team in a few weeks.” Kelley did not know this and she wonders which of her teammates she’ll be losing, “While we wish them the best in their next endeavors, this leaves several spots on the roster that need to be filled. So, without further adieu, everyone please welcome Ellie Carpenter, our new right back.” 

Kelley’s jaw plummets. Did she hear that right? Maybe her French really is terrible. When Kelley turns towards Lucy, her shock momentarily masking the annoyance she has for her English counterpart, however, she confirms that she did understand her coach. Lucy, meanwhile, only lets her distress show in her eyebrows, with one quirked slightly higher than the other. It makes Kelley wonder. Did she know about this in advance? As though Lucy is reading Kelley’s thoughts she catches Kelley’s eyes and with the smallest shake of her head confirms that this is just as much of a surprise to her as it is to Kelley. If Carpenter is going to start at right back, where does that leave Kelley and Lucy?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where indeed?
> 
> Guys I know this build up is so slow, ugh. I promise it’s killing me more than it’s killing you. There will be more interaction in the next chapter but I wanted to set the tone between them a bit more. So in summary: this chapter is just filling the pot up with water, the next one turns the burner on, and by chapter seven the water is boiling.


	6. Not Thinking of Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kelley and Lucy get closer, whether they want to or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IDK why this chapter is so long but I didn’t feel like breaking it up... So kick those feet up and settle in. 
> 
> Also, I don’t speak french, like at all. I’m sure there are mistakes. Please feel free to educate me and I will make the corrections.

Lucy gets home from practice feeling exhausted, emotionally and physically. As if a full field scrimmage wasn’t enough, her coaches decided to throw the biggest curveball at her since she joined Lyon. After meeting Carpenter, a talented player from Australia, her coaches had pulled her and Kelley into the training room to discuss positions. Since the Australian was so young, they wanted to play her in the position she’s most comfortable in, at least to start. This meant they were going to keep Lucy higher up the field at midfielder and shift Kelley over to the left side. The coaches had been keeping an eye on the two player’s dynamic with each other and liked the chemistry they had seen so far. They hoped that the two would be successful in controlling the left side of the field together. 

Lucy wasn’t too bothered by the position change. She played midfield in college and a few times for England. Even the prospect of working more closely with Kelley didn’t bother her too much. What concerned her the most was when her coaches told them that the pair would be rooming together in the upcoming pre-season game against PSG. The coaches wanted them to spend time together to work on their off field connection in order to help solidify their on-field connection.

At this point in the conversation Lucy started to feel uneasy. Her feelings weren’t helped when Kelley couldn’t contain an eyeroll or the “perfect” she muttered under her breath. It’s not as though Lucy was thrilled to be rooming with her either, but at least she wasn’t being openly rude about it. Unfortunately this was the sort of behavior she’s come to expect from Kelley. Had she thought they made a breakthrough yesterday? Yes, or at least she had hoped, but clearly, she was wrong. 

The trip home from practice had been uneventful. Lucy sat next to Kelley but kept her headphones on the entire time. Now that she’s back in the peace and quiet of her own apartment, she’s ready to decompress. She heats up her dinner, some leftover chicken marsala she’d made earlier in the week, and digs in. She’s about halfway through when a facetime request pops up on her screen. The familiar face of one her Lucy’s best friends putting a grin on her face before she answers,

“Hey, Jilliebean.” 

“Luce! It’s good to see your face. How are ya? How’s training goin’?” 

“It’s fine, same as always, but I found out today they want to push me up the field a bit. You know that Aussie, Carpenter?”

“The young cute one? Yeah she’s good.”

“Coach thinks so too, so they’re starting her at righback. O’Hara’s shifting to the left side, and I’ll be playing left-mid.”

“Well that won’t be a problem for ya, you’re great in the center of the pitch. Maybe you’ll even add a couple of goals to your name.” Jill’s smile is radiant, all the pride she has for her friend written across her face, “Speaking of, how’s the American treating ya? You’re not still sweet on her are ya?” It was a long standing joke that her English teammates played on her, constantly heckling Lucy about the American defender every time their teams played, but that’s all it was, a joke. And after the day she’s had, Lucy finds it even less funny than usual. 

She lets out a long sigh, “Jill…” Her tone has just the slightest bit of warning in it, so her friend drops it,

“Alright alright, just having a laugh. Still, you can’t say she’s not a stunner.”

“I have eyes, Jill. But I also have ears and they spend most of their time listening to Kelley acting like a complete arse.”

Jill tuts before responding “That’s a real pity. You know I heard she’s single again.” This sparks Lucy’s interest. She wishes it didn’t, but it does.

“Really? Where’d you hear that?”

Jill begins to resemble the Cheshire Cat, grinning from ear to ear, “Ahah! I knew it! So you are interested?” 

Lucy keeps a straight face and even throws in an eyeroll for good measure, “No, but she is my teammate. Best to keep up with this sort of thing.”

“Just keep telling yourself that Bronze. Anyway I rang Millie the other day and she heard it from Rach who knew from Kristie who was told by her sister who got it from Horan that Kelley told Heath that she and her girlfriend split up.” It takes Lucy’s brain a moment to process that one,

“Seems like a reliable source.” 

Jill misses the sarcasm in Lucy’s voice and charges on, “Precisely! And then apparently a girl called Sonnett confirmed it. Although, there _was_ a rumor that Kelley is currently involved with a man, but last I heard that was just Rose Lavelle trying to stir up trouble.” 

Lucy thinks back to all of the times she caught the American staring at her in the workout room today and can’t filter her words, “Hah, there’s no way that’s true.”

“Oh you’re that confident about it, hm? What’s going on that I don’t know about?”

“Can it, Jillie. It’s nothing. Anyways I didn’t realize you follow the Americans so closely.”

Jill shrugs, “It’s a slippery slope, let me tell ya. I was only trying to ask how Daly’s doing now that she’s back in the states, and winded up with much more information than I planned on.”

Lucy asks Jill how her old team is doing, what’s shaping up in the WSL, and if she and her fiance have set a date yet, before saying goodbye to her friend. She’s always been grateful for her friendship with Jill, as the fellow Brit never fails to brighten her mood. Tonight is no different. But as Lucy clears her dinner plate, she registers another feeling threatening to escape. Curiosity is the only label she’s comfortable with. Yes, she merely finds it _curious_ that Kelley O’Hara is single, and nothing more. 

...

Kelley is relieved when she wins her first game with Lyon. True, it was only a preseason game, but the 3-1 win over PSG feels like something bigger to her. It doesn’t hurt that two of her team’s goals came from the build up out of her side of the field. Usually after a win she would go out and celebrate with her team, whether it be club or country, but the 90 minutes took more out of her than usual. All Kelley wants is to go back to her quiet room, take a warm shower, and head to bed early. 

Most of her teammates had opted to grab a pint after the game. Kelley assumed her roommate would join them, so she’s not prepared for the partially nude, sweaty, and bent over Lucy that greets her eyes as she opens their door. 

Taking in the scene causes her heart rate to skyrocket. Lucy is in a tight tank top and shorts, but not the long kind they usually wear for soccer. These shorts are _short_ and _tight_ and right in Kelley’s face as Lucy switches into a downward dog position on her towel.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Kelley practically shouts at her roommate.

Lucy takes a breath, causing her tank top to ride up her skin, before calmly answering, “Stretching.” 

It’s all too much for Kelley, “Well can you not?! You’re distracting me.” Kelley clears her throat, “You know, because you’re blocking the TV.” Lucy misses the blush creeping across Kelley’s face, too busy focusing on walking her hands back to her feet and moving into a deep calf stretch. 

“The TV’s not even on.” Lucy observes simply. 

Kelley walks over and sits on her bed as she tries to think of any possible rationale for her roommate to quit stretching, “You’re also getting that towel dirty.” She scrunches her nose up for added effect, hoping it will divert all attention away from the real reason she’s so desperate for Lucy to stop.

“You can’t be serious?” Lucy snaps, “You're giving me shit because of the effing towel, O’Hara? That’s absurd!” 

It is absurd, Kelley knows it. But in this moment she doesn’t care because her roommate finally seems to be done torturing her.

Lucy stands and throws a sweatshirt over her head before turning towards Kelley expectantly, because Lucy has never known the American to back down. Why should now be any different? Except when Lucy meets her roommate’s eyes she doesn’t see any of the fire that’s usually there. Instead is a nervous, perhaps even bashful, woman. 

“Sorry. I- I thought you were going to be out tonight. It just threw me off that you’re here is all.”

Did Kelley just apologize to her? Lucy’s going to need _that_ to go on record. “What else would I be doing?”

“I don’t know, things. Like going out with the team, or facetiming with your girlfriend.” Lucy’s face falls and Kelley immediately feels guilt running through her veins, knowing she unintentionally said the wrong thing, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to say anything offensive or whatever.”

It’s said in a strange combination of brusque and sincere, and Kelley can see Lucy giving her a calculating look before slowly replying, “I, uhm, we’re not.” 

“Not?” Kelley asks, slightly confused.

“I don’t have a girlfriend, not anymore, we broke up a few months ago.” Lucy says it slowly and softly, the pain in her voice evident.

Kelley’s shoulders fall and for the first time since she walked into the room, she’s able to shove aside what’s going on in her head and focus on Lucy, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“Yeah well I didn’t expect you to know. It’s okay, sometimes things just don’t work out.”

“I know what you mean. I actually just got out of a relationship too. Part of the reason I was so excited to come to France.”

“Makes sense.”

There’s a bit of an awkwardness in the air. Like neither woman is used to this type of conversation with the other. It’s Kelley who speaks up again, “Uhm, I’m just going to go take a shower, so you can go back to your stretches if you want?” 

Lucy nods as the other woman collects what she needs before heading into the bathroom. When Kelley returns from the bathroom, Lucy is in her bed, reading a book on her kindle. They don’t talk much the rest of the night, other than Kelley asking if it would bother Lucy if she turned on the TV. They end up finding old episodes of _Whose Line Is It Anyways_ in french and every so often a soft chuckle escapes one of them. 

When they finally turn off the lights to go to sleep, Kelley spends about a half hour thinking about Lucy. About how hot and cold she’s been with her teammate, about how Lucy doesn’t really deserve that treatment. She wonders if she’ll ever be able to change the way she acts around her while still keeping any feelings she may have for the Brit at bay. Kelley decides that she wants to try, starting tomorrow.

…

Lucy wakes up twenty minutes before her alarm is supposed to go off the next morning. She quietly moves around the hotel room, getting ready to grab a quick coffee before the team travels back to Lyon. Once she has her stuff she ambles into the bathroom to finish her morning routine. When she walks back into the room a quiet voice startles her,

“Morning.” 

Lucy jumps a bit as she sees Kelley sitting up in bed, already wearing clothes and throwing her hair up into a bun. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t.” Kelley offers with a small smile. The softness of Kelley’s tone sounds alien to Lucy’s ears. She’s not sure how to proceed so she just explains herself,

“Alright. Well I’m off for a coffee before the train. See you later.” Her hand is about to turn the doorknob when she’s called back.

“Lucy, wait. I-” Lucy turns around and sees Kelley fidgeting with her fingers. “Can I join you?”

“Join me?”

“For coffee. Would it be okay- er would you mind if I tag along? C-coffee sounds nice.” Lucy’s not sure she believes what she’s hearing. Is Kelley actually initiating spending time together, _voluntarily_? 

Lucy shrugs, “Doesn’t bother me.” She turns to face the door again and opens it. But instead of walking forward she steps back, holding the door ajar so Kelley can walk through. The American is still on her bed looking up tentatively at Lucy, as though she expects the Brit to uninvite her any minute. Lucy nods out the door, “Come on then.” 

They walk into a small french bistro. There’s a tall counter near the till and several small tables tucked in the cramped cafe. Kelley quickly scans the room for any sign of a menu but is unable to spot one. When her eyes land on Lucy, she notices that her teammate is already at the counter ordering. Kelley walks up just in time for the barista to ask her what she wants. Even if Kelley knew _what_ she wanted, she would have no idea _how_ to order it, at least not in French. She’s about to embarrass herself by attempting to reply when Lucy speaks up,

“Elle prendra un café au lait avec du lait d'avoine, s'il vous plaît.” 

Before Kelley can react, the barista is taking money from Lucy and returns with two cups of coffee. Lucy grabs both and motions to Kelley to follow her to one of the small tables. Great, Kelley thinks, she’s about to drink coffee ordered by Lucy, paid for by Lucy, and brought to her...by Lucy. She doesn’t even know if she’ll be able to drink it because she distinctly understood the word “milk” and she hasn’t had milk in years. This is not what Kelley had anticipated when she asked to come along. She had hoped for more friendly conversation and maybe a little caffeine buzz. She did _not_ sign up for all of the kind gestures being shown to her, making it hard to keep certain feelings stuffed deep in a box in that attic that is her mind. It annoys her,

“I can’t have dairy, I’m vegan.”

Lucy, who is mid sip of her own coffee, looks at Kelley over the rim of her mug, “Yeah I know. It’s an oat milk latte Kelley, completely dairy free.” 

Oh, Kelley thinks, that is actually really nice. Is Lucy always this considerate? That’s going to be a problem. “You knew I was vegan?”

She fidgets a bit, and Kelley distinctly sees her cheeks flush, but she blames it on the lighting. “Erm, no. I just noticed you took oat milk in your coffee yesterday so figured that’s how you’d want it today.”

“Did you now?” Kelley teases.

“What? Is it a crime to be an observant person?” And even though Lucy sounds offended, the small smile she flashes Kelley in between sips gives her away.

“No just- thank you.” It’s sincere, and it makes Lucy’s grin grow wider.

“Mhm.” Lucy sips her small cup before asking, “What even is oat milk?”

“You’ve never had it?” Lucy shakes her head “Here,” Kelley slides her own cup across the table and into Lucy’s hands, “try a sip.” Lucy grabs the mug and looks down hesitantly before carrying that look up to Kelley’s face, “Come on, just give it a chance.”

Lucy relents and after taking a small sip, sits upright in surprise, “Oh, that’s quite good.”

Kelley gives a good natured eyeroll, “Well yeah, I’m not going to drink shit coffee, Bronze.” Kelley looks at Lucy’s cup skeptically, “What did you get?”

“You wouldn’t like it. It’s espresso... very bitter.” 

“I think I’ll be the judge of that.”

Despite knowing the American’s reaction, Lucy shrugs and passes her mini cup across to Kelley, “Fine, suit yourself.”

Kelley takes a tiny sip of the dark liquid and nearly gags, “Okay, you got me. That is repulsive. How can you drink it?”

Lucy only chuckles, “Years of practice, Kel.” 

Later, on the train ride back to Lyon, Kelley thinks about Lucy’s response. Namely the nickname thrown in so casually at the end, “ _Kel._ ” It sounded so natural coming out of Lucy’s mouth that Kelley almost wonders if it was an accident. 

She tries not to think about it. Instead she thinks about everything else involving Lucy. How it felt to room with her, to get coffee with her, and to have several civil, possibly even pleasant, conversations with her. She analyzes every one of their interactions the past few days and comes to the same conclusion, she enjoyed them.

Okay, she really enjoyed them. She likes Lucy. So what? It doesn’t _need_ to be a big deal. It’s normal to like new friends, it’s part of the process of getting to know another person. You’re supposed to like them. That’s how this works. Only... maybe you’re not supposed to like them this much. Especially after years of purposeful, extremely calculated, dislike.

She just won’t think about Lucy, especially in _that_ way. Kelley’s always had excellent self control. You have to in order to be an athlete at the highest level. She’s spent years training her body and mind to be disciplined, so it can’t be that hard to train her heart to do the same, right? 

She’s being ridiculous. Even _if_ she let her feelings get the better of her it wouldn’t matter, because there’s no way Bronze could ever like her like that. Kelley’s never given her a reason to in the past, generally behaving awfully towards her now teammate. 

She thinks in circles for the next thirty minutes before finally tiring herself out enough to fall asleep. 

When she gets back to her apartment it's only a quarter after 2pm, definitely too early to call it a day. It’s the first afternoon Kelley’s had off since she landed in Lyon, and she decides to explore her city. She starts walking down the old winding streets away from her apartment and more towards the heart of Lyon. 

The fresh air is exactly what she needs to clear her head. She stops in a few shops and eventually sits down on the steps flanking the Rhône, grabbing her book out of her purse to read for a while. She’s just getting into her story when a small family sits down a few steps below her, pulling out sandwiches for an early dinner. At first Kelley doesn’t mind, her sunglasses allowing her to discreetly people watch. 

She smiles as the mother tries to convince her young son to put on sunscreen, but then she notices the daughter. The girl is wearing light wash jean overalls with a white t-shirt and has her dark brown hair in loose, wavy, curls. Kelley can’t help but think that the teenager looks like a younger version of-

“Lucy,” the mother shouts, “arrête de gambader et mange ton dîner.”

Kelley, having no desire for another reminder of her teammate, rises to her feat and flees the steps. She starts trekking back towards her apartment building when she spots a newsstand. A good magazine might help keep her mind off of- certain people. She’s in the middle of perusing the food magazines when a newspaper catches her eye.

On the cover is a photo of her, of her and Lucy, from the game they played yesterday. She remembers the moment the picture was taken, it was right after Lucy had scored off of a ball she had played into her. At the time she had been so elated to get an assist, at helping put her team on the board, that she didn’t think twice about running and jumping onto her teammate. But now, as she sees the way her legs were wrapped around Lucy’s middle, the Brit’s strong arms supporting her lower back, she questions her celebration. The reality was that the koala hug had only lasted a matter of seconds, before Kelley slid down to the ground and joined her teammates in thumping Lucy on the back. But of course a photographer happened to capture their hug, making the embrace feel like a bigger deal than it really was. Are people going to read too much into this picture? Is Lucy? Is _she_? It irks her enough to walk over. She realizes the paper is in the sports section of the stand. Kelley snatches the article off of the shelf and begins to scan:

_The Olympique Lyonnais start the preseason off strong with a 3-1 win over rivals PSG. I caught up with the head coach after the match to ask how he felt about all of the changes to his starting eleven this season,_

_“You’re right there has been a lot of rework to our team. Some new faces, and some familiar faces in new positions, but the results of the match show that Lyon is still the team to beat.”_

_The coach is especially excited to see what his players can do given the recent shuffling of players on the left side of the field. Lyon recently acquired the American Kelley O’Hara and she had a big impact on the game alongside her teammate Lucy Bronze, who’s been pushed up into the midfield position._

_“Yes we are very excited to see what that pair can do. They’ve shown great chemistry on the ball at practice so far. I’m not surprised they connected so well in the game. Hopefully they can bring some diversity to the attacking third for us.”_

_Lyonnais loyalists have dubbed this new pairing the “Dynamic Duo” and I for one have to agree..._

She’s about to turn the page when the owner of the stand starts heckling her in french, asking if she’s going to be paying for the paper or continue to scam the stand by reading for free. Kelley barley suppresses an eye roll as she shoves two-fifty into the man’s hands and hastily stows the newspaper in her purse. 

At this point she’s ready for a drink. She makes her way back to the place where her apartment is and walks into the small cafe next to her building. She smiles to herself as she hears _Here Comes The Sun_ playing over the speakers. She’s been to this cafe enough to know that their soundtrack is entirely made up of songs by the Beatles. She orders a beer with a small side of ratatouille and is about to sit down when the song playing overhead changes to _Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds_. Kelley redirects herself to one of the tables situated outside of the cafe. This gives her a great view of the place in front of her, and it’s just an added bonus that she can longer hear the cafe’s music. 

Kelley takes a few sips of her beer and they instantly calm her down. She reaches into her purse to once again pull out her book, _A Tale of Two Cities_. The pages are well worn and there’s very little room left in any of the margins at this point. Kelley opens the familiar pages and begins reading them for the 6th- no 7th time. She’s relaxed enough that when the name Lucie appears across the pages, Kelley only thinks about it for a second before charging on. It’s not like it’s the same spelling anyways. After a few chapters the cafe owner pops outside for a cigarette and asks her if she’d like another drink. Normally Kelley doesn’t drink much when she’s in season, but she has tomorrow off, so she nods,

“Oui, s'il vous plaît.”

Time seems to disappear as she loses herself in the story and nibbles on her food. She’s nearing the bottom of her second drink when a loud vroom pulls her out from her book. When she looks up her eyes spot a woman riding a Vespa into the small square...correction, they spot a _woman_ riding a Vespa into the small square. The mystery rider parks her bike only a few meters away from Kelley’s table. Kelley, who is currently very grateful for her sunglasses, peers over the edge of her book and takes the woman in. This is exactly the distraction Kelley’s been looking for all day. 

She notes the small heel on the other woman’s boots, before her eyes travel up tight jeans. This woman’s ass is phenomenal, and Kelley has to physically stop herself from drooling. Her gaze continues upwards and the shock on her face is replaced with a smirk. The leather jacket and dark t-shirt combo sealing the deal for Kelley. She is about to pack up her book and walk up to the woman, when the biker reaches up to remove her helmet. 

It’s like something from a movie. A sexy, French, Vespa movie. The way the helmet appears to come off in slow motion. The way the woman gently shakes her head side to side, allowing her hair to cascade down her shoulders. Kelley is loving every part of it, until-

Kelley’s heart stops.

_Lucy?_

Fuck. This is not helping, and there’s no way she can talk to Lucy now. Not after the day she’s had, not after lusting over, er no, appreciating her figure moments before. 

Maybe Lucy hasn’t seen her? Kelley looks determinedly down at her book. Don’t say hi. Don’t say hi. Don’t say-

“Hey.” Kelley jumps in her seat. Lucy’s voice, already too close for comfort, grows even louder as the Brit walks up behind her, places both hands on the back of her chair, and leans in to ask, “What are you reading O’Hara?”

“A book.”

“How loquacious of you.” If Kelley thinks her curt answers will be enough to get Bronze to move away, she’s mistaken. Lucy moves her right hand off the back of Kelley’s chair and brings it around to the table. She leans in even more, over Kelley’s right shoulder so she can scan the pages in Kelley’s hand. Lucy only needs to read a few sentences before recognizing the story, “Ah reading one of England’s great authors I see.” 

Kelley can’t think. Not when Lucy’s leather clad arms are surrounding her. Not when Lucy’s front is pressed so tight against Kelley’s back that she can feel the rise and fall of Lucy’s chest with every breath, the bars on the chair not providing nearly enough separation. Thankfully, Lucy sees something on the ground that interests her. She lifts her arm off of the table and steps back from the chair so she can bend down to pick it up. Kelley realizes what Lucy’s grabbed a second too late.

“Kelley, why do you have a photo of me in your purse?...Also I thought we talked about not leaving your bag open and lying around.” 

Kelley spins quickly in her seat to face Lucy. When she looks up she sees the Brit giving her a questioning look, one eyebrow quirked up higher than the other. She can feel her cheeks getting red. “It’s not a photo of _you_ , Bronze. It’s a picture of _us_ , uhm, you know, for an article about the game yesterday. I was curious about what the press thought…What? Why are you looking at the picture like that? What’s wrong with it?” Kelley notices the change of Lucy’s facial expression. Where it had been teasing before, she now looks rather shocked.

“Nothing. We just look good toge- we look like we make a good team together is all.” 

Kelley doesn’t trust herself to respond to that, but luckily it doesn’t seem like Lucy’s looking for a response. Kelley’s teammate drops the newspaper back into her purse and then sits down in the chair next to hers. Lucy closes Kelley’s bag before lifting it up off the ground and setting it on the table between them. She points back at the book still open in Kelley’s hands,

“That’s a good one to read here. I know Lyon’s not Paris but still, similar cities, both French.” 

It takes Kelley a few seconds to realize Lucy’s talking about her book, “So you’ve read this before?”

“Yeah. I’ve read it a few times, but decided to buy a copy in french when I first moved to Lyon. I’ve always had an easier time learning a new language by reading instead of speaking.” 

“That's- that’s actually a really good idea...Why didn’t I think of that?” Kelley mutters the last line mostly to herself, but Lucy still grins when she hears it.

“Stick around long enough, O'Hara, and you’ll learn I’m full of good ideas.” With that Lucy reaches across the table, grabs the fork off of Kelley’s mostly clear plate, and scoops the last bite of food into her mouth.

“What the fuck Bronze? I was going to eat that.”

“No you weren’t.” Lucy says, still chewing, “Mm. That’s pretty good.” Kelley has to agree, but whether she means the food or the way Lucy runs her tongue over her bottom lip after taking a bite, she’s not sure. Her eyes zero in on Lucy’s lips. They're so soft and close and a little wet now and moving and-

“Kelley? Did you hear me?” 

The American shakes herself, “I’m sorry, what?”

Lucy stands up and grabs her biker helmet off of the table. “I said I’ll drop off the french version of that book tonight, yeah? If you want it?”

“Uhm, sure.”

“Alright then. See you later.” 

Kelley watches Lucy go before returning to her book. She tries to focus on the pages under her nose, but after re-reading the same sentence five times she gives up. She downs the last sips of her beer and makes her way to her apartment. 

Later, after Kelley’s taken a warm shower, put on her comfy lounge clothes, and cracked open a third beer, she feels better. Did she put on a pair of leggings, knowing that they make her body look amazing, instead of her usual bedtime sweats? Well, no one can _prove_ it. And if she happens to spray a little bit of perfume on her neck as she walks out of the bathroom, it’s only because the scent relaxes her. It has nothing to do with the fact that Lucy’s dropping by later. 

And Kelley’s never claimed to be a patient person. So when it’s been over four hours since she last saw her teammate, she starts to get antsy. She busies herself by tidying up: stacking all of her magazines neatly on the coffee table, putting away the dishes she had left out to dry, and fluffing up the few throw pillows scattered around her living space. When she can’t think of any more chores, she turns on the TV. 

She stops channel surfing when she lands on _The Black Swan_. It’s as good of a distraction as any, and Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman have always been on Kelley’s list of celebrity crushes. She turns on english subtitles and is finally starting to settle in, when there’s a knock on the door. 

It’s Lucy, Kelley knows it’s Lucy. Who else would it be? Still, she is not prepared when she opens the door. 

She’s in the same outfit as earlier sans the leather jacket, and Kelley is not sure if it’s helping or hurting the situation. Everyone looks good in leather, it’s like the push-up bra of jackets. But the way Lucy looks now without it, toned relaxed arms sporting a thick black watch, and the black cotton t-shirt hugging her frame in all the right spots, might be even more dangerous for Kelley. Lucy looks annoyingly beautiful, soft and cozy and strong and confident all at the same time. And then there are her glasses. Those hot fucking glasses. 

Kelley’s been blatantly staring at her teammate for several moments now but has yet to utter a word.

“Uhm. Hey Kelley. Here’s the book I promised you.” and because Kelley remains quiet Lucy asks, “Are you alright?”

Kelley reaches forward for the novel, “Yeah, fine. Just watching a movie and it got to my head” And then because she can’t stop staring she adds, “You look- nice.”

Lucy, for her part, takes the compliment easily, “Thanks. I’m meeting a friend for dinner.”

Kelley’s eyes narrow skeptically. She looks way too good for a casual dinner with a _friend_. Also who eats dinner this late? “It’s like 9 o’clock.” 

“What’s your point Kel?”

And there’s that damn nickname again. “Nothing. Thanks for the book.”

“No problem. I better be off, don’t want to be late.”

“Yeah, because while 9:00 is such an acceptable dinner time, eating at 9:15 is simply unheard of.” Kelley’s sarcasm is rewarded with a low laugh from Lucy,

“Goodnight Kelley. Enjoy your movie.” She turns to leave and walks down the hall. 

Kelley yells after her, “Enjoy your _date_!”

Lucy doesn’t respond verbally, or even turn around. She just tosses a wave over her shoulder and continues on her way. Her lack of acknowledging Kelley’s comment just confirms it in Kelley’s mind, Lucy is for sure going on a date. 

She walks back into her apartment with the book feeling heavy in her hands. She sets it on the end table next to her drink and flops down onto her couch. She tries to focus on the movie, but every few minutes her eyes dart to the book nearby and she pictures Lucy. Lucy, who’s out with a mystery friend, who’s probably flirting over dinner, who will likely get home late, if she comes home at all tonight.

It’s maddening, how Kelley can’t get the other woman out of her head. Every time she thinks she’s making progress, she finds her gaze drawn back to Lucy’s book. 

After over forty minutes, she gives up the charade of trying to watch the movie and turns the tv off. She rotates so her legs are up on the couch, puts a pillow behind her shoulders, and leans her head back against the armrest of the couch. She closes her eyes and finally does what she’s been afraid to do all night. She wonders about Lucy, about what it would be like to be on a date with her. If Lucy would make her laugh, or vice versa. If she would be as stubborn and difficult as she usually is around the Brit, and if Lucy would give it back to her, like she always does. 

What would it be like to kiss her teammate? To have Lucy’s arms, so strong and sure, holding onto her sides, running up and down her body? Maybe even lifting her up on top of a counter, or pulling her down into Lucy’s lap? 

Without realizing what she’s doing, Kelley’s hands start moving. One gently cupping her breast while the other skims underneath her waistband. 

What would her lips be like? Soft and comforting, or eager and demanding? Would they be some intoxicating combination of both? Would she pull on Kelley’s hair like she likes it? Or keep her hands firmly on the back of Kelley’s neck as the kiss deepens?

Kelley’s hand squeezes harder, before pinching her nipple through her shirt. Her other hand lightly tracing circles on top of the fabric right above her center. Eventually Kelley’s fingers slip down further, past her underwear until she feels her own wetness on her fingers. 

Fuck. Her eyes shoot open. She can’t be doing this. Not while thinking about a teammate. Kelley tries to breath, slowly, deliberately. Maybe if she can just focus on someone else? She did just watch the Kunis-Portman hookup scene. That’s it, focus on that.

It doesn’t work. Every time Kelley gets close, Lucy’s face pops up and she forces herself to stop. After almost falling over the edge five times, Kelley gives up. She’ll just have to go to sleep, because she is absolutely NOT doing that while thinking about HER. 

She makes her way to her bedroom and collapses into bed full of frustration. She wills herself to go to sleep. She tries meditation, prayer, and breathing exercises, but her mind can only think about one thing. She tosses and turns for hours before looking at the clock. It’s after three am when Kelley finally thinks _fuck it_. She grabs her phone, pulls up Lucy’s instagram, and starts scrolling. And if she touches herself while thinking of her teammate... no one has to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow guys I know, I’ve totally been neglecting this fic. I want to say I’ll be better about posting regularly but idk my motivation to write is really ebbing and flowing. What I can promise is this WILL get finished. I’m a “no story left behind” kind of gal, so please just bear with me :)


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